Who Wins in Windsor? The Explosion W vs Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z Showdown
The Rolex Grand Prix at the Royal Windsor Horse Show has attracted some of the best horse and rider combinations in our sport. For the first time since 2019, we will see Explosion W and Scuderia 1918 go head-to-head in a CSI5* 160 Grand Prix.
The EquiRatings Jumping Prediction Centre has been working overtime this weekend and provides us with data-based forecasts for the outcome of the Rolex Grand Prix at the Royal Windsor Horse Show this weekend. Two of the sport’s greatest combinations share the highest chance to victory.
Ben Maher’s Explosion W (798) and Daniel Deusser’s Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z (789) have written history by becoming two of the only horses to have ever achieved an Elo of 804. While Explosion W has the championship titles and medals to back it up, Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z reached these highs by being ultra-consistent in the world’s toughest Grand Prix tracks. Today, for the first time since the Super Grand Prix of Prague in November of 2019, we see these two powerhouses face each other in a five-star Grand Prix. The EquiRatings Jumping Prediction Centre has awarded each of them a win chance of 13% in this Rolex Grand Prix in Windsor. Neither horse, however, is coming into this Grand Prix on a high. As a matter of fact, this will be Explosion W’s first five-star Grand Prix in over 10 months after his competition break had been unexpectedly prolonged due to a shoulder injury for Ben. Nor has Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z been in the best form recently, having had to retire in two of their last four outings at this level.
Could the Rolex Grand Prix in Windsor set the stage for the dual comeback story of these two mighty athletes?
Or will another combination swoop in and steal the win?
Three pairs have been predicted an 8% chance of claiming victory in today’s Grand Prix. Hometown hero Harry Charles, one of the youngest riders in the field, paired with Balou du Reventon (758), one of the oldest horses in the field, are motivated leave their mark on home soil in Windsor. The remaining two combinations have already come close to the win last year. Max Kühner on Elektric Blue P (751) and Daniel Bluman on Ladriano Z (749) finished second and third respectively in this Grand Prix last year and now have an 8% chance to improve on that performance.
Click here to see the EquiRatings Jumping Prediction Centre for the Rolex Grand Prix of Windsor.