RED MILLS rider Bertram Allen continued his winning run at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, USA with victory in the Bainbridge Companies $37,000 five-star 1m45 over Lafayette van Overis.
The sprint competition featured 67 starters, but none could beat Allen’s winning time of 63.61 seconds with his nine-year-old gelding (Kashmir van Schuttershof x Tauber van het Kapelhof), owned by Ballywalter Stables.
Allen was almost two seconds ahead of Mexico’s Santiago Lambre who was second in 65.15 seconds with Doloris, while Andrew Kocher (USA) was third in 65.44 with Fashion V.
“It’s incredibly simple,” Bertram said. “I feel like he really understands what we’re trying to do there. Ever since I got him, he’s impressed me. He wasn’t bought to be the best horse in the world or to skip a five-star Grand Prix, but every lap he does he does it with ease and he’s very competitive.”
Allen is convinced that Lafayette van Overis is a horse for the future and is continually impressed with his gelding’s speed, saying: “He’s naturally very fast but also very careful, so you never feel like you have to slow it down.”
“It’s been a great trip so far,” Allen said of his first time in Florida. “We will continue to give our best and hope that luck will remain on our side.”
