In a competition that could have gone either way until the last hoof crossed the finish-line, Team Italy secured a narrow single-fault victory over Belgium in Friday's nail-biting opening leg of the FEI Nations Cup 2017 in the Europe Division 2 League in Linz, Austria.

It all hung on the performance of the last pair into the ring, Luca Marziani (37) and the 10-year-old stallion Tokyo du Soleil (Montender x Papillon Rouge) who had to jump clear if Italy was to take the honours for the seventh time in the 25-year history of the Austrian event.

"I didn’t feel pressure because I was sure I could do it - I was slow and I picked up a time fault, but it was the best deal I could do with such a young horse, so this is my third win in a Nations Cup and I’m very proud of that!” Luca Marziani said afterwards. 

In the lead carrying just two faults after the first round, the Italians could have wrapped it up even earlier if Luca Moneta could match the faultless second-round efforts of team-mates Emanuele Gaudiano with Chalou (Chacco-Blue x Baloubet du Rouet) and Davide Sbardella with Triomphe van Schuttershof (Oklund x Nabab de Reve). But a surprise stop from Moneta’s Herold N (Heartbreaker x Haydn) at the vertical before the open water left it all up to anchorman Marziani. 

Fabulous second-round clears from Pieter Devos on Espoir (Surcouf de Revel x Laudanum XX), Niels Bruynseels on Cas de Liberte (Cracky Z x Chellano Z) and Jerome Guery on Grand Cru van de Rozenberg (Malito de Reve x Heartbreaker) had already fixed the Belgian finishing score at just four faults, without Gregory Wathelet even having to ride as anchor, so there wasn’t much room for manoeuvre as the Italian set off for a second time. And his winning round wasn’t completely blemish free, the first element of the final double rattling loudly but staying in place before he broke the beam with the clock showing just a single time penalty to bring the Italian total to three faults. 

Team Italy were not chasing points today because they belong in the Europe Division 1 series, so the maximum Division 2 points went to Belgium with third-placed Great Britain next in line ahead of Czech Republic in fourth place.