SHOW JUMPING:Cameron Hanley scored the best result of the current World Cup season when finishing seventh in Saturday night's Spanish qualifier in Vigo. The Mayoman brought out the 10-year-old gelding SIEC Concept for the feature class and the grey more than justified Hanley's faith when joining 12 others on a zero score to earn a place in the jump-off.

The Irish pair were fourth in against the clock and, with no second-round clear on the board, Hanley opted for safety. His caution paid ample dividends, with Concept once again leaving all the fences standing to break the beam in 54.65 seconds and set the early target.

But nine of the world's best were waiting in the wings and Hanley's hold on pole position proved all too fragile.

The 33-year-old Claremorris native was eventually pushed down the order to seventh, but that was enough to earn him €8,300 in prize money and 10 valuable World Cup points, boosting him up 11 slots in the Western European league rankings to 28th.

With a first-round four-faulter, Jessica Kürten failed to make the cut for the timed decider, and her 17th-place finish also kept her out of the points, dropping her to 43rd in the race for qualifying points.

Honours went to Steve Guerdat of Switzerland, who stopped the clock on 43.40 seconds. The 24-year-old was notching up his second victory of the 2006/2007 campaign, having scored on home ground in Geneva in December.

Guerdat is now in sixth place in the Western European league and guaranteed a place at the Las Vegas final in April, a happy position currently denied to both Hanley and Kürten with just two qualifying rounds left.

Obviously fatigued after Saturday night's exertions, Hanley's mount Concept picked up 12 faults in last night's Grand Prix.

Kürten looked set to redress the balance when steering Galopin du Biolay to a clear, but a fence down when the clock was called in as the final arbiter left the world number eight down the order in 11th.