Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) and the nine-year-old Nikolaj de Music (Kannan x Nabab de Reve) won Thursday's CSI5* 1.50m Longines Ranking class at Hubside Jumping Grimaud in St. Tropez, France. 

Presented by Hubside Store, the 1.50m class had 41 horse-and-rider-combinations on the start list. With a time of 63.77 seconds, Gaudiano took home the win ahead of Simon Delestre (FRA) on Dexter Fontenis Z (Diarado x Voltaire) with 0.48 seconds separating the two riders. Victor Bettendorf (LUX) on Astuce de La Roque (Kannan x Quick Star) took the third place after clocking the time of 64.58. Gaudiano's second horse in the class, Chalou (Chacco-Blue x Baloubet du Rouet) placed fourth, and Julien Anquetin (FRA) on Z Ice Cube Z (Zacharov TN x Casco) took the fifth spot.

"The least I can say is that the day was good," Gaudiano said in a press release from Hubside Jumping. "I can only be delighted with my horses! Nikolaj de Music is in great shape at the moment: Two weeks ago, he already won the Hubside Jumping three-star Grand Prix here in Grimaud. We will see if this form continues in the coming days. For the five-star Grand Prix on Sunday I am fortunate to currently be able to count on three horses capable of performing at such a level. I will choose over the next few days which one is in the best shape."

The second CSI5* class of the day, a 1.45m Grand Prix qualifier, went to Robin Muhr (ISR) on Baccarat Meniljean (Diamant de Semilly x Dollar du Murier). Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) on Crack Balou (Balou du Reventon x Chacco-Blue) took the runner-up position, while the third place went to Victor Bettendorf (LUX) on Simolo de La Roque Z (Spartacus TN x Casall), fourth to Nicolas Delmotte (FRA) on Citadin du Chatelier (L'Arc de Triomphe x Diamant de Semilly) and fifth to Guy Williams (GBR) on Rouge de Ravel (Ultimo van ter Moude x Quouglof Rouge).