Irish rider Daniel Coyle took Wednesday’s $25,000 Equilline Grand Prix at the ESP Holiday Festival 11 staged at Palm Beach Equestrian Center in Florida, with fellow countryman Brian Cournane taking second.

Coyle, on Susan and Ariel Grange’s Grafton, was one of only four from the large field to contest the jump off and posted the fastest time by over two seconds.

His nearest challenger was Brian Cournane who got Javas Keltic Mist home fractions quicker than third-placed Emanuel Andrade of Venezuela and Bon Jovi.

“The course rode a little bigger than I had expected and this horse is relatively new to me”, Coyle said after the win. “I was just trying to get the correct numbers and I know that a lot of people were doing the vertical to an oxer in four strides , but I did three and I think that made a big difference.”

Josh Tobin