Riding last in the final round, the former world champion turned in a clear time of 36.83sec aboard Calisto Blue, edging out Belgium's Niels Bruynseels, who finished second in 37.03.

Third place went to Switzerland's Martin Fuchs in 38.40.

Ireland's Bertram Allen, the 2014 winner, ended in fourth place, with home favourite Luca Marziani in fifth and Sweden's Petronella Andersson in sixth.

Germany's Ludger Beerbaum finished seventh and was followed by Austria's Max Kühner, who rode clear but not fast enough to be a contender for the podium.

While the 76-second time limit was not a factor for any of the riders, the tricky turns and pacing of the course troubled some of the world's best jumpers.

Among these were world number one-ranked Harrie Smolders of The Netherlands, and many former Olympians and World Cup champions, three of whom retired.

The FEI Jumping World Cup Final is due to take place in Swedish city Gothenburg from April 3 to 7, 2019.