Fresh from his memorable victory in the Rolex Grand Prix presented by Agria in Falsterbo, Shane Sweetnam arrives in Dinard full of confidence with James Kann Cruz, a horse he believes is peaking at exactly the right time ahead of Sunday’s Rolex Grand Prix Ville de Dinard.

“James feels in great form. He jumped really well on friday and I’m very happy with where he is at the moment. We’ve had good experiences here in Dinard before, finishing second in the Rolex Grand Prix in 2023, so it’s a venue we really enjoy.”

Choosing not to contest Friday’s jump-off after producing a clear round, the Irishman explained that the decision was entirely focused on Sunday’s feature class.

“We decided not to do the jump-off today to keep him fresh for Sunday. The crowd here is amazing every day, but especially for the Grand Prix, and hopefully we can produce the same kind of form we had in Falsterbo. You always need a little bit of luck, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Winning a Rolex Grand Prix has long been one of the biggest ambitions of Sweetnam’s career, and his recent success in Falsterbo remains a particularly special milestone.

“It was one of the biggest successes of my career. Winning a Rolex Grand Prix is always a goal. We’d come close a few times before, so to finally achieve it was incredibly special.”