Five-star wins for Darragh Kenny and Jordan Coyle in California

Irish riders dominated Friday's action in the Desert Holiday I event at Thermal, California with Offaly’s Darragh Kenny and Derry’s Jordan Coyle both claiming five-star victories.

Riding the Teddy Vlock-owned stallion Volnay Du Boisdeville, Kenny scooped the winner's prize in the $72,200 Whittier Trust 1m50 after a 12-horse jump-off, with a second round clear in 35.50 seconds. Kenny outpaced fellow Irishman Conor Swail and Theo 160 who finished second (36.83), while Bliss Heers (USA) with Antidote De Mars completed the top three.

"My horse felt very good in the warm-up," Kenny said of his jump-off strategy, knowing the pace was quick and the competition behind him was steep.

"He was jumping great. Conor was very quick as always and I wanted to try to be as quick as I possibly could without rushing him too much. Conor did one more to the last than me so I thought if I could take one less to the last that would be faster, and it worked out."

The partnership between Kenny and Volnay Du Boisdeville has been fairly short, but extremely lucrative since he took the ride only about one year ago.

"We actually bought him for Teddy to ride. He had great success with Teddy for three years; he jumped him on the Nations Cup team at [the Palm Beach Masters] and jumped a few five-star Grand Prix with him. I took over towards the end of last year and he’s been amazing.

"He won a four-star Grand Prix in Wellington, second in the five-star Grand Prix in Monaco, and he’s been an incredible horse so I’m very lucky to have him.

"For a stallion he’s so quiet, easy, and mannerly. He’s just a lovely horse."

The $9,000 Antares five-star 1m45 Speed class also saw an Irish winner, with Jordan Coyle taking first place with Picador, while he also claimed