Mark Edwards registers the home-bred Tinkers Touch’s first 3* Grand Prix win to celebrate the first week of the Moura Autumn Tour in Valencia
Monday 02 November 2026
Mark Edwards lifted the feature class to finish week 1 of the Moura Autumn Tour of 2026 in Valencia, Spain, on a high, recording the home-bred Tinkers Touch’s first 3* Grand Prix win.
“He’s been knocking on the door for a big win over the past month, picking up second at HOYS and Compiegne [France],” said Mark, on another bred with his father Martyn and related to two home-bred former international rides. “Tinkers Touch is the last foal out of Lady’s Tinker (Tinkas Boy) so is Flying Tinker and Montreuxs Tale’s great uncle on the dam side.”
Forty-seven competitors came forward over the challenging 1.50m course but only eight mastered the first round, the on-form Mark claiming two places in the jump-off.
“It was a typical Grand Prix course with questions all over, testing scope over the first half and a bit more care needed on the second half; a short five-stride distance oxer to oxer down the final line took some jumping, but the weather and going have been really good,” assessed Mark.
He set an unbeatable target with first ride Tinkers Touch, the Tornesch 1042 x Tinkas Boy nine-year-old answering the questions with every stride, drawing the following riders into mistakes. Only one other clear was produced, Spain’s Mariano Martinez Bastida jumping Bacardi O into second place 3.23 seconds adrift of the winning time.
John Whitaker was also in contention, but four faults dropped Equine America Unick Du Francport into third.
Mark has charted the nine-year-old’s progress from day one.
“He’s a horse we’ve believed in from the start; always very careful and makes each step up in height easier than the last. This year he has come on just as we hoped with a good education around the county circuit at the beginning of the summer and progressed into a real winner.”
Guy Williams netted a 3* 1.45m victory with the nine-year-old Saulire Z (Stakkato Gold x Landor S). A total of 48 riders contended this speed class, but they were no match for Guy as he galloped into the lead in the latter half of the draw to beat his 47 rivals by 1.04 seconds.
Ella Dalton performed a similar feat in the final day’s 3* 1.45m speed, the 14-year-old Hurricane VDL (VDL Zirocco Blue x Indoctro) winning with more than two seconds to spare.
Laura Renwick notched up a victory double with the home-bred 12-year-old Cottee (Asterix E Z x Couleur Rubin), heading an early 3* 1.40m two-phase by 0.46 seconds and going on to take a 3* 1.35m speed with 2.69 seconds to spare.
In other supporting classes, Tom Harrison doubled up in the Six-year-old classes on Billy Lola, heading a 1.25m speed by 0.14 seconds and a later two-phase with 1.30 seconds in hand. Maisy Williams topped a 3* 1.30m speed by 0.72 seconds on the eight-year-old Nigurante DD, Ellie Lambourne was also a 3* 1.30m winner on the 11-year-old Kwik Star and Ruth Reay headed the final day’s 1* 1.30m accumulator with the nine-year-old Masseltof.
Graham Babes takes the MET Autumn II Grand Prix crown in Oliva Nova
Graham Babes led a British top two in the top-billed Autumn MET II Grand Prix in Oliva Nova, Spain, with Monks I Am Casall.
Graham and the I’m Special De Muze x Casall 12-year-old fired a warning shot across the bows with a second place in an early 71-strong Gold 1.45m speed, setting them up nicely for Sunday’s 2* Grand Prix. Seventy-two riders set out over course-designer Frank Rothenberger’s (GER) 13-fence, 16-effort 1.45m track with 10 qualifying for the jump-off with initial clear rounds.
Graham has been knocking on the door for a good win with his siter Stephanie Babes’ consistent gelding, and they provided a copybook round to deservedly land victory by 0.36 seconds. Carron Nicol was hot on their heels for second place with the equally consistent Plot Blue nine-year-old RRH Out Of The Blue.
“He jumped his heart out, he means the absolute world to us,” said Graham, after his win.
Anna Power jumped Bina Ford’s Cobra 13-year-old McQueen into second in a Gold 1.45m speed, beaten by only 0.01 seconds. Sammie-Jo Coffin was close on her heels for third with Cornet of Follyfoot. Anna claimed a win in the final Gold 1.30m speed with the Comme Il Faut eight-year-old Calgary PH Z with 0.71 seconds in hand.
Chris Smith headed a big 99-entry Gold 1.40m speed on the 11-year-old mare Messarado Blue as he led a British whitewash of the top six places, relegating Jessica Hewlett’s Mosandro Van Perbeemd by 0.33 seconds. Tom Plaster was also a 1.40m winner, heading the Silver 1.40m speed on the nine-year-old Diamanta with a 1.74 second advantage over second-placed Francesca Young’s Monthelie-O and Jessica Hewlett in third on Ilmar HBC.
In other supporting classes, Sammie-Jo topped an early Seven-year-old 1.35m on Lucas 259 by 0.09 seconds and a Silver 1.30m aboard Casalle Blue VD with 0.42 seconds in hand. Jasmin Clark doubled up with the 10-year-old NPS Java in two Gold 1.30m classes, winning the first speed by 1.76 seconds and another speed by 0.68 seconds. Keira Stoute topped a 48-horse Silver 1.25m speed by 0.37 seconds on the 11-year-old K.I. Pella Horta and recent Burghley winner Gemma Stevens jumped to the top in the Seven-year-old 1.35m two-phase with 1.16 seconds in hand aboard Kanndy’s Lollipop (Kannan x Sligo Candy Boy).
Jodie Hall McAteer is in the money at Longines Equita Lyon
Jodie Hall-McAteer slipped Hardessa into third in the 5* 1.50m at the Longines Equita Lyon in France.
Fifty-nine competitors came forward over course-designer Santiago Varela’s (ESP) 12-fence, 15-effort speed track, with Jodie and the 14-year-old Kashmir Van Schuttershof daughter finishing 0.54 seconds behind the winner, France’s Nicolas Cizeron on Filae Du Clos.
The 14-horse decider of the Longines World Cup qualifier of Lyon proved very competitive, with less than half a second separating the top four. Ben Maher was in with a shout to finish fourth on Point Break, 0.46 seconds behind the winning round of host country France’s speedy Julien Epaillard one Coultre De Muze. Jodie was also in the mix, jumping a double clear on La Gupardie for eighth.
Max Routledge secures a podium place on the Andalucia Tour
Max Routledge was in the mix in the La Equina Trophy with Me The Rebel RT on week 2 of the Andalucia October Tour in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain.
Fifty-six riders came forward to face the 3* 1.50m two-phase track, but only 21 survived the first phase to push against the clock, Max and the nine-year-old stallion (Cornet Obolensky x Baloubet Du Rouet) easing into third place 0.34 seconds behind the winner, Belgium’s Axel Vandoorne aboard Kaline De Fremis.
Chloe Winchester jumped into a podium place in the 3* 1.45m with Casacenta Petra PS. Sixty-four riders contended this two-phase class with Chloe and the 11-year-old Casallco x Dobel’s Cento mare finishing 0.87 sec off Belgium’s Louis Lambrecht’s winning time on Picadilly.
Chloe picked up a win in a 2* 1.35m two-phase on ABC Saving Grace, the year-old beating 85 rivals by 0.26 seconds to the top spot.
Matt Sampson secured second place in the 91-entry 2* 1.45m speed 1.09 seconds off the pace with the Pacino 13-year-old Latte Macchiato. Millie Allen was close behind for third on Quick Diamant HR.
Millie picked up third in the 28-horse 3* 1.45m speed aboard Viarca PS, the 10-yar-old Vivant x Diarado mare finishing 3.50 seconds off the winning time set by Germany’s Hannes Ahlmann on Cimarosa 4.
Matt scored a winning double in the Seven-year-old 1.35m with Cavintinue PS, leading a British one-two in the 1.35m speed with a 0.60 second advantage over Millie Allen’s Liyanna Ter Wijnen Z. Twenty-four hours later and another 1.35m speed, Matt and the Casallco x Vivant gelding outpaced 55 rivals with 0.55 secontds to spare. Millie took third on this occasion. The pair almost made it a hat-trick but had to settle for second in day one’s 60-strong 1.30m two-phase as Fraser Reed galloped into the top spot by 0.17 seconds on Arturo De Kalvarie Z (Andiamo Z x Jodokus).
Image: Moura Tours
