Edited press release from Longines Global Champions Tour 

Bertram Allen (IRL) emerged victorious in the lightning-fast Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of A Coruña presented by Casas Novas. Riding the exceptional Pacino Amiro (Pacino x Nc Amiro), Allen won his first LGCT Grand Prix since 2018. 

Leading the victory gallop after a nail-biting jump-off between nine horse-and-rider-combinations, 28-year-old Allen beat 26-year-old Ioli Mytilineou (GRE) on L'artiste de Toxandra (Toulon x Kashmir van Schuttershof) by just fractions of a second. Once again, Harrie Smolders (NED) was on the podium with Monaco N.O.P. (Cassini II x Contender), this time taking third and switching positions with Ioli compared to the last LGCT Grand Prix in Monaco. 

“It is fantastic to qualify for the LGCT Super Grand Prix as it is something I have always wanted to do," Allen said after winning and securing his golden ticket to the LGCT Prague Playoffs. 

Finishing just 0.40 seconds ahead of Mytilineou and L'artiste de Toxandra, Allen had the advantage of being the last rider to go. Speaking of his plan of attack, he said: “I had a similar plan to what she [Mytilineou] did, then when I watched her go, I knew it was all possible, and thankfully I was just a little bit quicker. It is not easy to win these Grand Prixs, so I am delighted."

“It feels like a dream," Mytilineou said. "To be able to have two horses podium at an LGCT Grand Prix, which as we know, are not small Grand Prix, is surreal."

With the LGCT overall championship in mind, Smolders commented on what the rest of the year looks like for him and his team of horses: “Monaco will have three weeks off, and I will then take him to London. I only have four or five results, so I cannot afford for myself to have any mistakes as I really want to be high on the standings.”

After a top 10 finish at the 10th leg of the 2023-season in A Coruña, Maikel van der Vleuten (NED) extends his overall LGCT championship lead to 231 points. Christian Kukuk (GER) remains in second on 180 points, while Simon Delestre (FRA) rockets up to third on 171 points. After a surprising elimination in today’s LGCT Grand Prix, Malin Bayard-Johnsson (SWE) sits in fourth with 163 points, while the current world number one Henrik von Eckermann (SWE) bounces up to the top five with his 155 points.