Sussex owner Ray Carroll was celebrating last night after Kiwi Andrew Nicholson rode his horse to victory in the Mitsubishi Eventing Grand Prix at Hickstead.

Forty-year-old Nicholson only made one mistake in his round on Mallards Treat and finished with a time of 219.84 to win a £13,500 Mitsubishi car and end Pippa Funnell's domination of the event.

Carroll, from Blackboys, said the car would go to his 18-year-old son Robin if he passed his third driving test next week.

He said: "It'll be an incentive for him to finally pass.

"It is a nice result because we have had a lot of problems with the horse and we are getting him ready for the World Championships in Jerez.

"We have had the horse for nine years since he was four and he is a star, he has done extremely well."

Three-time winner Funnell finished 4.08 seconds behind Nicholson in third, with Peder Fredricson runner-up (221.30).

Funnell rode clear to win on The Tourmaline Rose in the previous two years but her 13-year-old horse was too strong for the Surrey-based jockey this time.

She said: "It is a relief in a way and next year I think I will come back without so much pressure."

There was more heartache for fellow British rider Michael Whitaker who has finished runner-up in the race twice and yesterday he had to settle for fourth on Sir Dino with a time of 225.58 seconds round the 28-jump course.

Earlier Andrew Davies won the Sussex Speed Stakes on Captain Wellington in a time of 77.52 and Dutchman Peter Geerink won £1,500 following his win in the Osborne Refrigerators Stakes in 82.92.