France’s Simon Delestre, always a formidable contender in speed classes, once again gave his rivals no chance. Riding Oh Sissi, a mare who has only just turned 10, he claimed victory in 66.81 seconds. He finished ahead of Colombia’s Santiago Diaz Ortega with Jump For Joy (67.23) and Ireland’s Niamh McEvoy with Jargon DN (67.29).

Simon Delestre: “I’m delighted with this victory. Oh Sissi belongs to one of my students, and we have only competed together at a few shows. She is a very modern, fast mare with excellent technique, and I really believe she is destined for the highest level. I loved riding this course. Grégory Bodo always designs courses that are technical while remaining fair to the horses. I love competing here in Morocco; the quality of the facilities and the way the horses are welcomed and cared for really put this tour on another level.”

Grégory Bodo: “The aim of this class was to design a course that would allow the horses to get into their stride. This qualifier was set at 1.45m, which is relatively low for a four-star qualifier, where the height is usually 1.50m. I’m pleased with the outcome because we had 16 clear rounds and all the horses jumped very well. The course combined the spirit of a speed class, with different options for the riders to choose from, with technical challenges, including a few particularly tricky fences.”

Earlier in the morning, Delestre had already had the French national anthem ringing out after claiming victory with Olga van de Kruishoeve. In the CSI4*-W 1.40m – Sakia El Hamra Prize, a two-phase speed class, he finished ahead of Morocco’s Majid Djaidi with Ideale l’Herminiere. Belgium’s Jérôme Guéry completed the podium with Hottonie de Kreisker.