Gemma Creighton riding the 14-year-old gelding Dada Des Brimbelles Z has broken through for her first World Cup victory in the first leg of the 2025-26 season which was held at Shepparton earlier this afternoon. It was a wonderful performance by the combination who put in the only double clear effort of the competition beating off challenges from fellow Queenslander and last season’s series winner Billy Raymont and Caprino who placed second, with Madeline Sinderberry and Gredstedgaards Number One in third. Congratulations to the NVSJC for organising a fantastic show as they seem to do every year.

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Run in very warm conditions with temperatures in the mid-thirties, the Goulburn Vally Equine Hospital World Cup Qualifier over two rounds, attracted 17 combinations to the start list producing a total of seven clears. The second round of competition included these seven, Billy Raymont and Caprino carrying four penalties forward and two combinations bringing eight with them.

The first two combinations out in the second round were Jennifer Wood and Ipod and Rhys Stones riding Riverton Kanntador, both carrying zero penalties and both hoping to do well as these horses had been nominated by the riders as their mounts to try and secure World Cup points. Both took a pair of rails to finish on a total of eight. Next out were the two combinations each carrying eight faults from the first round, namely Mattea Davidson, who came first and second at this event last year, riding Jaybee Vigilante and last season’s runner-up rider Sam Overton with Conchita Van De Helle. Both of these combinations took a further two rails to finish on a total of 16 penalties. Sam’s slightly faster round two time saw him into ninth place overall, with Mattea filling tenth.

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The fifth combination out of the 10 in the second round saw last year’s season winning rider, Billy Raymont aboard Caprino, a partnership that delivered victory in no less than four of the nine World Cup Qualifiers last year. They put in a splendid performance and were the first combination to go clear in the second round, putting together a total of four penalties over the two rounds and claiming a spot at the top of the leaderboard for the time being. However, they would be doing well to stay at the top, given the five combinations to come all were carrying a clean sheet into the second round.

The first of these five were Phillip Lever and Billionaire NZPH who took two rails to finish with a total of eight penalties and eventually finish up in seventh place. The next three combinations out all put in identical performances. Carrying zero penalties into the second round, each took a single rail to finish on four, level with Billy and Caprino, but with times slower than the leader. Tori Stuckey and Jaybee Ballon D’Or ended up in fifth place while Brook Dobbin and Devos GP which was having its first start at this level, finished a very creditable fourth. Madeline Sinderberry and Gredstedgaards Number One almost put in a double clear day, however a rail at the very last fence saw them secure third place.

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The last combination on course were Gemma Creighton and Dada Des Brimbelles Z who went clear to snatch victory. Their time was not the fastest, however, the pair of clear rounds was enough to secure the win. This combination had been knocking on the door of a victory for some time now. Before today, they had been on World Cup start lists 11 times, putting together a record which included a pair of fourth placings, a third at Caboolture in 2023 and a second at Larapinta last year. In fact, so consistent have their performances been that Gemma finished third on the Australian World Cup League Leaderboard last season, behind just Billy Raymont and Sam Overton.

Congratulations to all the riders and horses for putting on what was an enthralling class to watch, but special congratulations goes to the winners, Gemma Creighton and Dada Des Brimbelles Z.

The full listing of placings in the World Cup Qualifier are listed below. 

GOULBURN VALLEY EQUINE HOSPITAL WORLD CUP QUALIFIER CSI1*-W

Results sourced from globalentriesonline.com.au

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