With several speed demons aiming for the top prize, it was Lane Clarke piloting MH Wardance (owned by MH Warbucks) who took the quickest route without a fault. Demonstrating true warrior mentality, 'Brave', as Clarke calls him, performed this feat even after pulling a shoe partway through the jump-off round. First to return, Enrique Gonzalez with Chacna (Daniel Chavez Anicet, owner), was double clean in 43.01. Five riders followed but failed to catch Gonzalez, including Clarke and Semira De Saulieu (owned by Brookelane Farms), who had the time, 39.58, but dropped a rail at fence 11b.
Menezes on his second mount, Carushka, set the new time to catch, speeding around the course clean in 39.36, almost four seconds faster than Gonzalez and seemingly unbeatable. Clarke proved that, in fact, he could be faster, when he returned on his second mount, MH Wardance.
Turning quick and tight after the first fence, an oxer set along the rail, they held a fast pace until they landed off fence 6 and let loose at a full gallop to the second to last fence (16, a tall vertical) and continued over the last oxer, fault free, with the winning time of 38.68, just under a second faster than Menezes.
Clarke was fully aware that the competition was going to put the pressure on. "I knew it was going to be really fast from the beginning. Eduardo on Carushka was extremely fast, my mare Semira is extremely fast, so I knew I was going to have to go really fast on Brave. I really wanted to win the last Grand Prix [of the season], it's home and I love it here," Clarke explained. "I have never pushed my nine-year-old that fast. Every time there was an option, I left the stride out and went as fast as I could go. I really just put the pedal to the metal and trusted my horse was going to step up. I was extremely happy with him."
This was Brave's first grand prix win. "I'm just really happy with my horse and thankful for all the support I get from all the people around my home. Also, to the Percivals for sponsoring the horse, Mickey for all the coaching and all of my sponsors. And a special thanks to Brave. He's grown up a lot this year, he left his heart on the line and it was successful. I'm super excited for how good he was today."
With well over $50,000 in prize money, the Markel Insurance 1.40m Grand Prix Final at The Las Vegas National is on the horizon, and Clarke has his eye on the possibilities.