The 39-year-old triumphed after a 19-rider jump-off while on board Quatrin de la Roque, clocking a winning time of 35.92sec after going double clear.

Six horse and rider combinations went clear again in the jump-off, with second place going to Dutchman Leopold van Asten with VDL Groep Zidane, who finished in 37.71sec.

Germany's Guido Klatte, on board Qinghai, rode home in third place with a jump-off time of 38.09sec.

Epaillard admitted that he was surprised to claim victory at the penultimate leg of the Western European League season.

"I didn’t come here with big expectations," he said.

"My horse has a very big stride and we had a good turn to the vertical after fence two and had a nice distance to the last jump. 

"With this horse I have only won at three-star level - the Grand Prix at Lummen and at Paderborn."

The last of this season's 13 qualifiers for the FEI World Cup Jumping Final in Omaha in the United States will take place in Swedish city Gothenburg on March 26.

France's Kevin Staut leads the overall standings on 78 points, in front of Italy's Lorenzo de Luca who boasts 67.

Ireland's Denis Lynch, fourth today in Bordeaux on All Star, now has 58 points in third place.