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Under the electric Riviera sky and to the sound of a roaring crowd packed into every inch of the grandstand, the second day of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Cannes delivered one of the most gripping five-star classes of the season. In the CSI5* 1.50m jump-off, it was Spain’s Mariano Martinez Bastida who proved untouchable aboard Belano vd Wijnhoeve Z (Berlin x Darco) setting a time so quick, not even a wave of French support and a valiant final attempt from Simon Delestre and Acatitla LS (Clearway x Alcamera de moyon) could topple him.
In a field stacked with 40 world-class combinations, only 18 found the answers to a technical yet fast first-round track, setting up a turbo-charged jump-off where every second counted. And the tension? Unmatched. The first to return for the shortened track, Martinez Bastida aboard his ultra-consistent 16-year-old partner Belano vd Wijnhoeve Z, exploded out of the starting gates with precision and intent. Wasting no time and taking daring risks through the rollback turns, the Spanish rider left the timers stopping at 36.83 seconds—a marker that would become the one to chase for the remaining 18 challengers.
And chase they did.
The class became a thriller of split seconds, with each round bringing gasps, cheers and groans from the packed stands. Germany’s Marco Kutscher aboard Aventador S looked to have it but came home just 0.63 slower. Max Kühner and the ever-reliable EIC Up Too Jacco Blue, fresh off their recent success, posted yet another immaculate round but couldn't match the early leader’s pace. Even British sensation and last years LGCT Grand Prix of London winner Harry Charles on Casquo Blue, a pair known for their speed, had to settle for fifth.
But then came the home hero.
As the floodlights danced off the famous Cannes backdrop and the crowd quietened in collective anticipation, France’s own Simon Delestre cantered into the ring as the very last rider to go. Riding Acatitla LS, his 12-year-old grey mare, Delestre held not only national pride but also the hopes of every spectator willing him to rewrite the leaderboard. What followed was a masterclass in controlled speed - slick lines, flying distances, tight angles. The grandstand was a wave of sound as he galloped to the final fence and soared clear. All eyes shot to the clock. 37.43 seconds. Agonisingly short by just six-tenths of a second.
The applause was deafening.
Martinez Bastida, who had watched every round from the kiss-and-cry with baited breath, broke into a smile of disbelief and joy. Not only did he clinch the win in this electric 5* class, but he also followed up on his GCL team triumph just 24 hours earlier with St Tropez Pirates alongside teammates Max Wachman and Duarte Seabra. A double success story few could have predicted at the start of the week.
