Ireland’s Cian O’Connor was just squeezed out in the race for a prestigious prize at the London International Horse Show at Olympia on Monday.
The 2012 London Olympics bronze medallist finished second to Swiss rider Pius Schwizer in a thrilling Holly Speed Stakes final.
Just 60 hundredths of a second separated the top four finishers in the one-round speed class.
And it was Schwizer who came up trumps, clocking a time of 52.34 seconds on Leonard de la Ferme to edge out O'Connor, riding Coco II.
O'Connor went marginally quicker than Dutch challenger Maikel van der Vleuten and Kisby, and it looked as though he might have done enough for victory, but Schwizer had other ideas.
Excitement, though, was maintained to the last of 22 starters when London 2012 British team gold medallist Ben Maher entered the arena aboard Quabble.
Maher, runner-up in Sunday's Longines FEI World Cup qualifier behind Italy's Emanuele Gaudiano, seriously tested Schizer's time, but he ultimately had to settle for fourth place in 52.94 seconds.
O'Connor will partner Super Sox on Monday evening in the Grand Prix at the London venue with Bertram Allen also competing on Quiet Easy.
