CLARE’S Philip McGuane rode the nine-year-old mare Crislin van den Bosrand Z, owned by Evergate Stables, to win the $62,500 Upperville Welcome Stake class on Friday, coming out best of the 37 starters over a course designed by fellow Irish man Alan Wade. The first round produced 10 clears, who then proceeded to the jump-off, where four combinations managed to keep a clean sheet.

McGuane’s time of 33.74 was just a hundredth of a second ahead of runner-up Sloane Coles (USA) on Ninja JW van de Moerhoeve, who finished in a time of 33.75. Daniel Bluman (ISR) on Hummer Z completed the podium in 33.97.