Bertram Allen scores second stateside win at Tryon in North Carolina

RED MILLS Rider Bertram Allen has scooped his second five-star win at Tryon, North Carolina in the USA, after he came out on top in Sunday’s $72,000 Classic with the 8-year-old gelding Lafayette Van Overis.

Allen’s clear jump-off round in 33.56 seconds saw him finish a second ahead of American runner-up Ali Wolff and Casall, while Lillie Keenan (USA) piloted Fasther to third place. Three Irish riders finished in the top five with Kilkenny’s Richie Moloney taking fourth spot with Ypaja Yando, while Co Clare’s David Blake finished fifth with Don’t Touch Du Bois Pinchet.

Allen, who had already won Friday’s $36,000 Speed Stake in Tryon aboard Lafayette Van Overis, admitted that he wasn’t really going for the win with his still-green and recently-acquired ride:

“This is the first time he’s jumped as big as he did today [1m50], so I already thought Friday was ‘my’ class. In the first round it was the biggest and most difficult course he’s jumped, but he really put his head down and tried his best. For the jump-off, I wasn’t really watching everybody, because I didn’t want to do something crazy,” Allen revealed, “so I was actually quite relaxed going in. I just wanted to be as fast as I could be, and it worked out, and he’s naturally very fast as well.”