Bernardo Costa Cabral: The test was in the approach *H&H VIP*

Opinion

“I love the big sand arena at Chepstow, the footing is amazing and it gives you so much scope. It is difficult to build a two-star grand prix without over-building and I like to keep to the specs using a technical course with tightish times.

I was happy with the results. I expected 12 clears from the 59 starters and got 15 — the time allowed was just a couple of seconds too long — but feedback said the riders were happy.

The grand prix was a tough track but they coped with it well. Although the triple bar at fence four with the water jump underneath was a shock to some, there were few problems. The water gets the horses up in the air — it wasn’t big and the visual effect was nice — and then it gave them a nice six strides to the combination. The test was how the rider approached it.

“I’ve been made to feel very welcome. It didn’t rain much and I’d love to come back.”

Ref Horse & Hound; 11 May 2017