Ireland’s Paul O’Shea claimed second place in Friday’s 1.60m American Gold Cup qualifier at the four-star meeting in North Salem, New York.

Victory went to USA’s McLain Ward on Contagious whose time of 37.82 proved too much for the rest of the eight combinations in the jump-off.

It was O’Shea who came closest when third-last to go on Imerald van’t Voorhof, the pairing stopping the clock a quarter of a second beyond the American rider’s time, knocking Canada’s Ali Ramsay and Hermelien vd Hooghoeve back to third.

Lorcan Gallaher picked up a share of place money having missed the jump-off with a time fault on Hunters Conlypso II which gave them a ninth place finish.

Mark Sommer