Scott Keach and Noble De La Chapelle Notch $100,000 HITS Grand Prix Victory at HITS Saugerties
Sunday marked the final day of competition at HITS-on-the-Hudson VII, where Australia’s Scott Keach had a dominating performance aboard Noble De La Chapelle to lead the lap of honor. The partners of four years were not only the first pair to go clear in the first round of the grand prix, but they also made up one of only two teams that produced the only double-clear efforts during the afternoon’s highlight event.
“We bought [Noble De La Chapelle] as a 6-year-old,” explained Keach after his winning round. “I’ve been riding him for a few years. He’s by For Pleasure, and they’re notorious for maturing a bit later. He’s 10 now, and this is the year he’s really started to work stuff out. Everything seems to be going according to standard for a For Pleasure [offspring] at the moment.”
Following Friday’s $25,000 HITS Grand Prix, Ana Catalina “Catsy” Cruz set another technical track that utilized the vast expanse of the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix stadium. The course featured a triple bar oxer, several double combinations, a liverpool, and a number of wide sweeping turns throughout the arena. Many riders who made it through the first half of the course without any issues ended up having rails later at fence 8ab. Only four riders made it into the jump-off round this afternoon, with Keach and Noble De La Chapelle as the pathfinders of the day.
“I kind of rode according to plan, which was ‘try and be quick,’” said Keach. “When you’re first to go with three more following, you’ve got to try and be quick enough, put pressure on without taking too many chances, and just hope that’s good enough.”
Keach and Noble De La Chapelle set the time to beat at 39.141 seconds with a quick and clear effort over the track. Lorcan Gallagher and Copycat were up next, and their time of 44.482 seconds slid them into second, eventually producing the only other double-clear performance of the day. The pressure was on for second-to-last pair of the day, Ashley March and Magic Hoop. Although March and Magic Hoop’s time of 42.585 was faster than Gallagher and Copycat’s, two rails on the shortened track would ultimately place them in fourth. Laura Chapot and Chandon Blue were the last challengers who attempted to take over Keach and Noble De La Chapelle’s lead. Halfway through the course, Chapot and Chandon Blue looked like they were going to win it all. However, an unlucky rail bumped them into third, making them the fastest 4-faulters of the day with a time of 38.685 seconds.
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