Fox-Pitt's 'tough' mare scores

Laura Collett and London 52 throw down their Olympic selection gauntlet, while William Fox-Pitt shows that he and Grafennacht are primed for Badminton

- PIPPA ROOME

“I THINK shock and amazement is what’s going around the eventing world – I haven’t won an advanced for a very long time,” said William Fox-Pitt after his victory on Amanda Gould’s Grafennacht.

The 14-time five-star winner – who only has one top-level horse these days and was never one to rack up numerous oneday wins even in his heyday – admitted that he “got a rocket” from his wife Alice for going too slow when leading at Thoresby.

“And I thought it would be good to get my eye in here going faster before Badminton,” said William. “Alec Lochore had done a great job with the course and the ground was superb so I had no excuse.”

Grafennacht was bred by Susan Eggleton out of her prolific national winner Nachtigall and produced by Tom Jackson, and joined William at the end of her five-year-old year. Second at Maryland five-star in October, she returns to Badminton after 14th there last year.

Like Ros Canter’s Badminton and European champion Lordships Graffalo, “Lillie” is by Grafenstolz.

“She’s got a big day in her. I keep telling her to look at her brother – they are the same age, 12, and as they were coming along I thought we’d got our work cut out to keep up,” said William. “But she’s a lovely, easy horse and a tough old soul.”

If the mare has a weakness, it’s the fact she “can flick a pole and not worry much about it” and William has been having help from Jay Halim, who has a showjumper to ride for Grafennacht’s owner Amanda.