The Shanghai Swans duo of Daniel Deusser and Pedro Veniss flew to the top of the order in today’s GCL Madrid team competition, with a knife-edge result promising thrilling action in Saturday’s Spanish showdown. 

The only team to jump double clear, the Swans pulled out all the stops in the first European stop of the GCL, finishing ahead of the Montreal Diamonds’ Eric Lamaze and Danielle Goldstein and Rome Gladiators’ Laura Kraut and Lorenzo de Luca.

New recruit Veniss, who made his debut for the team today, said “I’m very happy! Our plan was to go slow and clear, as my horse is a little green at this level, so we’re going to try and do the same tomorrow. We are going to try to be in the [GC Play Offs] for sure!"

Speaking after his team’s result, Deusser said: "We have a very strong team, we have had very good rounds already [this season] but have missed a little luck. I hope for the next couple of legs that we can be higher in the rankings and collect some points, as in my opinion we have one of the strongest teams overall.”

With the top 16 ranked teams this season qualifying for the GC Play Offs in Prague this December, every point will count, and season-long tactics are becoming ever more crucial as the GCL unfolds. Five teams head into tomorrow on four faults, with a further five on a combined score of eight faults, meaning the action will go right down to the wire in Saturday’s GCL Madrid final.