The 152,000 Euro CSI5* 1.55m class with one round and a jump-off gathered a start field of 40 horse-and-rider combinations under the flood lights at Al Shaqab in Doha, Qatar. The time allowed caused trouble for many, as six riders ended with one-time penalty in the first round. Ten riders cleared the course making their way to the jump-off, and it turned out to be an electric one. 

Lorenzo de Luca (ITA) on Limestone Grey (Try-Time) went first, and set the time to beat to 38,75 seconds. And from there on it only got faster and faster, as one rider after another gave their all chasing the win.

In the end it was the young and talented Martin Fuchs (SUI) on Chaplin (Verdi x Concorde) who nailed the win with a time of 36,91 seconds, taking home the first prize of 50,820 Euro. Niels Bruynseels (BEL) on Gancia de Muze (Malito de Reve x Nimmerdor) came second with a time of 37,47 seconds and the continuously well performing Pieter Devos (BEL) on Apart (Larino x Burggraaf) took the third place with a time of 37,64 seconds. Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) on VDL Groep Arera C (Indoctro x Voltaire) placed fourth with a time of 38,39 seconds and the winning pair from the Longines Hong Kong Masters Grand Prix, Christian Ahlmann (GER) on Caribis Z (Caritano x Canabis Z), took the fifth place with a time of 38,61 seconds. 

"I thought the course suited my horse really well today - that's why I was also super excited for the jump-off. I knew that the track there too would suit him," the happy winner said after the class. "The only thing today that I am not happy with is my own over-reacting to the tight time allowed on the first round: I went nearly too fast there because I was worrying about it. For the jump-off I had great help from my uncle Markus (Fuchs) and Steve (Guerdat), they came to tell me what I needed to do to be faster than the others. And I am so glad that the plan worked out like we wanted to," Fuchs said.

Like many others, Fuchs praised the facilities at Al Shaqab: "The place here is amazing and now they are starting to get more spectators here also. It is nice to see the sport grow here in Qatar." 

The second five-star class of the day, a 64,000 Euro 1.50m class against the clock went to Kevin Staut on Elky van het Indihof HDC (Toulon x Thunder Vd Zuuthoeve) with a time of 63,24 seconds. Just like the day before, Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) placed second with Chacanno (Chacco-Blue x Kannan) with a time of 65,38 seconds and Ibrahim Hani Bisharat (JOR) on Brown Sugar (Chacco-Blue x Farmer) placed third with a time of 65,50 seconds.