Only nine of the 39 starters found the key to the tough first-round track set by Swiss course designer Gérard Lachat, as Ireland’s Denis Lynch claimed his second runner-up finishing spot in a row with All Star and Australia’s Edwina Alexander came third with Caretina de Joter.

Lynch and his 13-year-old All Star, who has been in the form of his life over the past few weeks, stormed home without fault in 42.34sec to set the benchmark for Schwizer as the final competitor.

Although the 53-year-old Swiss rattled both elements of the double en route, he blasted through the finish in 41.97 to secure the win.

It marked his second FEI World Cup success in Zurich, having previously come out on top in 2014 with Toulago.

"Future was already good here in Zurich on Friday (January 29), and today everything fell in place for a win but of course you have to bring it home and that’s not easy," said Schwizer.

"I really wanted the win and not to finish second or third because I wanted to do well in front of my home people here in Switzerland."

Today’s result has significantly boosted Lynch’s position on the Western European League leaderboard, with 17 points rocketing him up to 13th spot.

Now with a total of 34 points, the Irishman is well within sight of a top-18 qualifying spot for the final which will take place in the Swedish city of Gothenburg from March 23 to 28.

Schwizer, however, still has some work to do if he is to make the cut with today’s maximum 20 points still only putting him on a total of 24.

Germany’s Christian Ahlmann, eighth today, is the runaway leader with 86 points, followed by France’s Simon Delestre on 61 and The Netherlands’ Harrie Smolders on 57.

Bordeaux in France is due to host the 11th and last qualifying round on Saturday (February 6).