With Italian supporters still on a high following yesterday’s spectacular Nations Cup victory for the home team, Gianni Govoni lifted spirits once again at CSIO Rome this morning with a brilliant win with the aptly-named Quicksilver in the KEP Italia Speed event.

And his victory in the sand arena at the Galoppatoio was definitive, with well over two seconds separating him from Giampiero Garofalo and Emo in second while Ireland’s Bertram Allen and It’s Me, who led for some time in the early stages, had to settle for third place. Switzerland’s Bryan Balsiger was fourth with AK’s Courage, Italian star Luca Moneta slotted into fifth with the eight-year-old mare Amethyste du Coty and Dutchman Michel Hendrix and Fjury V lined up sixth.

Govoni is a double-Olympian and finished individually fifth at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Jerez, Spain, and his time of 56.75 seconds was never going to be beaten today. But he said he was particularly happy to win because it didn’t quite work out for him over the previous two days. “We made mistakes yesterday and the day before but I knew we could be fast enough and today it was perfect! Quicksilver has had a few nice wins over the last few weeks so has been on form!”  

Late today he will compete the 11-year-old grey mare Suzie 11 in the Loro Piana Small Grand Prix and he has chosen the nine-year-old gelding Evenzo for tomorrow’s Rolex Grand Prix. “Evenzo doesn’t have a lot of experience but he’s very capable and brave so I believe he will handle it well” Govoni said. Ph CsioRoma-MGrassia