Friday's biggest class at the Longines Masters of Hong Kong – the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy – went to Bertram Allen and Quiet Easy 4 (Quidam's Rubin x Zapateado). With this victory, the winning couple of the Longines Speed Challenge at the 2015 Longines Masters of Los Angeles posted a small warning to their competitors that their top form continues. During 2015, Allen and the 12-year-old gelding took no less than seven international victories. 

In the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy, the Irish rider produced one of fourteen clears over the first round 1.50 track and was the fastest of the seven riders that went clear again in the jump-off. 

Not much separated Allen from runner-up Anna-Julia Kontio on Pacific des Essarts (Diamant de Semilly x Totoche de Banney) though, as only 0.09 seconds was the difference between the two against the clock. 

British riders took care of third and fourth, as Laura Renwick and John Whitaker filled the next two positions aboard Bintang II (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Orlando) and Lord of Arabia (Cassini II x Carry) respectively. 

Earlier in the day Swiss rider Jane Richard Philips won the 1.45 competition on Dieudonne de Guldenboom (Nabab de Reve x Gibramino). It was an all female podium with Great Britain's Jessica Mendoza finishing second and Spain's Pilar Cordon third. 

Text © World of Showjumpinh // Picture © Tiffany Van Halle