'He gave me a great spin'

A win after injury puts Piggy March's consistent campaigner back on track and two horses show promise in their first long format

- BECKY MURRAY

NAF Five Star Hartpury, Glos

BROOKFIELD INOCENT was back on top form as he headed the NAF Magic CCI4*-S with Piggy March, completing on their 28.3 dressage.

Piggy, last year’s CCI4*-S winner here on Vanir Kamira, produced one of only four clears inside the time across country with the 2021 European team gold and individual silver medallist, owned by Alison Swinburn and John and Chloe Perry.

Hartpury marked 14-year-old “Arthur’s” return to this level after he picked up an injury before Badminton last year, and the victory comes on the back of their advanced win at Aston-le-Walls in July.

“This horse has had some time off, so this is all about getting him back to top level and making sure that he feels good,” said Piggy.

“It’s a brilliant course and I’m excited because he made the time easily, and it set him up for Burghley. I came here to give him a good set-up and make sure that he’s back to his best. He gave me a great spin.”

There was a shake-up of the leaderboard going into the final cross-country phase, as the overnight leader and last year’s NAF Superflex CCI3*-L winners Alex Hua Tian and Jilsonne Van Bareelhof opted not to run across country, as they look towards the Asian Games next month.

Eighty-one combinations contested Eric Winter’s four-star track, which had a seven-minute optimum time and included a bold three-stride combination at 5ab, the Hartpury Sport Plank Spreads, down to an accuracy-demanding owl hole-brush arrowhead combination at 6abc, the NAF Superflex Lake. A corner at fence 23, the Ermin Plant Woodside, caused the most run-outs.