IRISH rider Cian O'Connor proved to be the class act in this afternoon's (Monday) two-star 1m45 Grand Prix in Opglabbeek, Belgium, when he overcame a 50-strong field on board Coco 11.

Of the ten combinations who went into the jump-off, only four managed a second clear, and the Meath rider was by far the sharpest, ending up over two seconds quicker than runner-up Alberto Zorzi of Italy on Amour Du Seigneur.

O'Connor had just acquired 10-year-old Coco 11 in the past week from German star Marco Kutscher. "It's great to have the ride on such a nice horse", he said afterwards. "He's beautifully schooled, which makes the job so much easier."