Text © World of Showjumping

Germany's Christian Kukuk and the 11-year-old stallion Mumbai (Diamant de Semilly x Nabab de Reve) won Friday's CSI5* 1.50m jump-off class at the 2023-edition of Commercial Bank CHI Al Shaqab presented by Longines in Doha, Qatar, in perfect style. “Many things came together in what was our first show of the year," Kukuk said. "I changed a few things – changed the bit, removed his shoes – and it all worked well. The horse and I are a very good match, and he can still improve more. That makes me very happy.”

Besting a field of 37 horse-and-rider-combinations, Kukuk and Mumbai were the last to go in a jump-off between nine pairs that had cleared the first-round track set by the Italian course designer Uliano Vezzani. While Ireland's Mark McAuley and the 10-year-old GRS Lady Amaro (Amaretto D'Arco x Over The River) were leading the way with a time of 41.42, Kukuk and Mumbai made it all look like a walk in the park, jumping an effortless round with such ease that the clock stopping on 41.36 as they crossed the finish line seemed like a surprise. However, shaving 0.06 seconds from McAuley's time, Kukuk took the win, pushing the Irish rider to the runner-up position, followed by Kevin Staut (FRA) and Dialou Blue PS (Diarado's Boy x Chacco-Blue) in third in 41.59, Shane Breen (IRL) and Cuick Star Kervec (Quick Star x Diamant de Semilly) in fourth in 41.63 and Michael Duffy (IRL) aboard his new mount Che Fantastica (Check In 2 x Pablo) in fifth in 42.72. 

The second CSI5* class of the day, a 1.45m Table C, went to France's former world number one Simon Delestre and the 10-year-old I Amelusina R 51 (Dexter R x Chin Chin). “I’m very pleased with this result," Delestre said after his victory. "It’s the first win in a five-star class for this horse. He’s always improving – I’ve developed him carefully since he was a three-year-old. The large arena here suits his big canter.”

With a time of 63.52, Delestre took the win ahead of Shane Breen (IRL) and Haya (Mylord Carthago x For Pleasure) in second in 63.68, followed by Denis Lynch (IRL) and Cornets Iberio (Cornet Obolensky x Charlottenhof's Iberio) in third in 64.45. Alexa Ferrer (FRA) and Vitalhorse Ebbadya Hero (Erco van'T Roosakker x Wandor van de Mispelaere) finished fourth in 67.48 and Kamal Abdullah Bahamdan (KSA) fifth in 68.15 aboard Jack van het Dennehof (Toulon x Quidam de Revel).