During a fascinating weekend Simon Delestre secured his third consecutive victory at the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix du Prince de Monaco. Meanwhile, Antoine Ermann claimed the Monte-Carlo Casino Trophy.

The world number eight delivered an outstanding performance in the jump-off on Saturday evening, riding Cayman Jolly Jumper to finish in 32.05 seconds and win the €1.5 million prize. He beat Britain’s Harry Charles on Sherlock by a strong 1.84 seconds, showing the skill and speed that have made him a three-time Monaco champion.

The victory marks Delestre’s fourth five-star Grand Prix triumph of the season, following earlier wins ‘s-Hertogenbosch and the Saut Hermès in Paris. The partnership has now won four of the seven top-level competitions they have contested since January 1st – a remarkable strike rate.

French double delight

France’s successful weekend completed when Antoine Ermann guided Odin vt Hanegoor to victory in the Monte-Carlo Casino Trophy.

Twelve combinations made it through to the jump-off from the first round, with Delestre third to compete in the deciding phase. “It’s difficult to find the words,” Delestre said after his victory. “Winning here is incredible. I had made it an objective but to actually succeed…I was third to go in the jump-off. I knew I had to do something incredible to hope to win.”

The Olympic bronze medallist from Paris 2024 described his tactical approach: “I took all the risks and couldn’t do any more anyway. At the finish, even though you can always be beaten, I knew that the podium, was assured and that we would be hard to beat.”

Delestre’s victory strengthens his position in the overall Longines Global Champions Tour standings and secures his place at November’s Super Final in Prague, when Grand Prix winners compete for the ultimate prize.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Photo credit: Longines