The first leg of the Morocco Royal Tour 2023 concluded in Tetouan on Sunday with an Italian victory in the CSI4*-W 1.55m World Cup Grand Prix Prix de S.A.R. Le Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan. 

Emanuele Gaudiano (ITA) and Nikolaj de Music (Kannan x Nabab de Reve, bred by Walter Lelie and owned by Gaudiano Sporthorses S.R.L.) took the win with a double clear in a time of 39.33, ahead of Cyril Cools (BEL) and Milton Z (Mylord Carthago*HN x Sandro Boy, bred by F. Hoogenboom and owned by Heritage Of Tomorrow) in second in 41.15. 

"I made the difference mainly between the penultimate two obstacles, where I asked Nikolaj to take four strides, whereas the others took five, and then I went very fast to the last fence," Gaudiano said in a press release from the Morocco Royal Tour. "He wasn't an easy horse. I've been riding him since he was 4-years-old, and he's indeed very strong, but now he's a good 4 and 5* horse, and this isn't his first 4* Grand Prix victory." 

Andre Thieme (GER) and Conacco (Conoglio x Chacco-Blue, bred by Lothar Guse and owned by Pferdemanagement & Marketing Gmbh) placed third, while Roberto Previtali (ITA) and Conthargo-Blue (Conthargos x Chacco-Blue, bred and owned by Gestüt Lewitz) finished fourth and Barbara Schnieper (SUI) fifth aboard Canice (Cascadello x Cornet Obolensky, bred by Wolfgang Brinkmann and owned by Martin Hauser). 

After Tetouan, Morocco Royal Tour continues in Rabat from October 12 to 15 before the final leg in El Jadida from October 19 to 23.