Ireland's Cian O'Connor took second place at the first day of the Gold Tour competitions in Arezzo, Italy, while Irish World Champion Dermott Lennon followed in fifth position.
Riding ABC Landliebe, one of the horses involved in the doping scandal that haunted O'Conner after his Olympic Gold Medal, the Irishman was just under two seconds behind class winner, Germany's Heinrich Hermann Engemann and Candela NRW.
Afterwards, O'Connor said: "Candela is in my book one of the top horses in the world at the moment, and would take some beating. However, Landliebe was only in third gear today. Maybe when I get her up into fifth we'll catch Candela. Let's wait and see."
Down-born Lennon, riding the gelding I Caesar, placed fifth and was just under three seconds behind the winner.
