“I was lucky to be last to go," Tim Brennan said after taking his first four-star Grand Prix win in El Jadida on Sunday, riding the 10-year-old Diadema Della Caccia (Diamant de Semilly x Cardento 933) to the top honours in the 1.55m Grand Prix of His Majesty King Mohammed VI — the grand finale of the 2025 Morocco Royal Tour. 

"My mare is naturally quick, but today all I had to do was jump double clear. I tried to play it safe, maybe a bit too safe, took a few wide turns, and ended up with three time faults, something that had never happened to me before with her! Fortunately, she jumped incredibly in both rounds. She gave me everything," Brennan said in a press release from Morocco Royal Tour.

The top eleven – five riders with clear rounds, plus the six fastest four-faulters – returned to the second round against the clock in this Grand Prix, where it was all to play for. With four faults from round one, Morocco’s own El Ghali Boukaa immediately put pressure on his competitors by producing a fast and faultless round in 42.79 seconds aboard A Kyss (Diamant de Semilly x Cabdula du Tillard) – eventually good enough to go from eleventh to second place behind Brennan on this three time faults from round two.

Egypt's Mouda Zeyada and If Looks Could Kill O.H. (Q.Breitling LS x Colman) had been clear in round one, but picked up four faults in round two which put them third with their time of 45.38 seconds. Portugal's Molly Hughes Bravo and HHS Tokyo (Z7 Ascot x Catoki) also had to add four faults to their score in round two to finish fourth, while four faults in round one and a clear in round two put Dutch rider Mans Thijssen fifth with Joviality (Warrant x Silverstone).

"This result tops everything. Winning my first four-star Grand Prix here: It’s a dream come true. I can hardly believe it," the happy winner Tim Brennan said.

As for the home hero of the day, El Ghali Boukaa commented in the press release: “To qualify as the very last rider (by only 24 hundredths) and finish second after having four faults in the first round, that’s something I never expected. When I came in for the second round, my plan was to jump a nice clear and aim for fifth or sixth. But when the bell rang, I changed my mind and decided to go fast, whatever happened. Finishing second under these circumstances feels like a victory. I’m so proud of my horse; he jumped incredibly today. It was a very technical course, truly worthy of a Grand Prix at this level. To ride here, in front of the Crown Prince and the Moroccan crowd, is always a deeply emotional moment.”