Quick finish in Paris in Thursday’s Prix Marcel Laurent

by Thomas Hedlund

The French winter meeting is rolling in Paris and prestigious races will be seen almost every week until the end of the happening in March next year.

On Thursday afternoon, the $138,000 Prix Marcel Laurent for 4- and 5-year-olds was held at Vincennes racetrack and it became a fast moving performance from start until the wire was broken by winner Delia du Pommereux (Niky) and Damien Bonne.

Delia du Pommereux got a cover trip deep down in the field of European trotters and when leader Vitruvio had finished his game in the end of the last turn, favorite Davidson du Pont was one of the trotters that fought for victory. Three-wide attacking Earl Simon fought strongly all the way towards the wire, but could not accelerate and stand strong when Delia du Pommereux sprinted to victory in mile rate 1:54 over 1.3 miles.

Earl Simon (Prodigious) finished second and Davidson du Pont (Pacha du Pont) third.

Delia du Pommereux is a 5-year-old mare by Niky and is trained by Sylvain Roger. She has two previous wins in group 2-races in Paris, Prix Hanri Levesque and Prix Jockey.

In the $138,000 Prix Olry-Roederer ($138,000) for 4-year-olds racing under saddle trainer Richard Westerink (trainer for Timoko and Dreamoko) showed that he can produce talented horses even for the racing under saddle event. His Etonnant (Timoko) hit the lead at an early stage and fought impressively against his attacking challengers the whole way, which led to victory in mile rate 1:58.2 over 1.8 miles.
Fields set for Breeders Crown in Sweden

Four divisions of Breeders Crown are scheduled at Eskilstuna racetrack in Sweden on Sunday, Nov. 11.

The 3- and 4-year-olds are fighting for purses of $178,000, where many of the Swedish bred participants have chances to double the price money.

3-year-old mares

Horse (Sire) – Trainer
Flash Am (Lavec Kronos) – Roger Walmann
Conrads Rödluva (S.J.’s Caviar) – Daniel Redén
Staro Miami (S.J.’s Caviar) – Ari-Pekka Pakkanen
In Royalty Boko (Zola Boko) – Tuomas Korvenoja
Fanny Chenal (Love You) – Björn Goop
A Sweet Dance (Maharajah) – Helena Burman
Fixi Mearas (Muscle Hill) – Stig H Johansson
Formosa Am (Lavec Kronos) – Jörgen Westholm
Bechamel (Pastor Stephen) – Daniel Reddén
Racing Brodda (Prodigious) – Mattias Djuse
Valetta (Going Kronos) – Björn Goop
Global Vintage (Love You) – Timo Nurmos

3-year-old colts and geldings

Horse (Sire) – Trainer
Global Withdrawl (S.J.’s Caviar) – Svante Båth
Jaguar Dream (Love You) – Claes Sjöström
Global Welcome (S.J.’s Caviar) – Svante Båth
Inti Boko (Chocolatier) – Timo Nurmos
Betting Gangster (Going Kronos) – Jerry Riordan
Global Wise Guy (S.J.’s Caviar) – Timo Nurmos
Mellby Goofy (Going Kronos) – Reijo Liljendahl
Forfantone Am (Muscle Hill) – Roger Walmann
Baritone Artist (Orlando Vici) – Markus Svedberg
Önas Nougat (Chocolatier) – Per Nordström
Buzzer Beater (Make It Happen) – Per Linderoth
Holy Water (Pastor Stephen) – Tomas Malmqvist

4-year-old mares

Horse (Sire) – Trainer
Vamp Kronos (Ready Cash) – Jerry Riordan
Candy la Marc (Scarlet Knight) Lars Marcussen
Mallby Free (Muscle Hill) – Björn Goop
Dibaba (Ready Cash) – Roger Walmann
Global Upper Style (S.J.’s Caviar) – Peter Untersteiner
Lady Youline (Fast Photo) – Henrik Hoffman
Violet Bi (Equinox Bi) – Jim Oscarsson
Butterfly Ima (Orlando Vici) – Åke Lindblom
Hevin Boko (Going Kronos) – Timo Nurmos
Wild Love (Love You) – Bengt Simberg
Odessa Celeber (Cantab Hall) – Roger Walmann
Catch My Love (Symphonic Hanover) – Tomasz Wisniewski

4-year-old colts and geldings

Horse (Sire) – Trainer
Chianti (Scarlet Knight) – Björn Goop
Who’s Who (Maharajah) – Pasi Aikio
Perfect Spirit (Andover Hall) – Daniel Redén
Short In Cash (Ready Cash) – Petri Puro
Selmer I.H. (Love You) – Ingemar Hultqvist
Transcendence (Maharajah) – Robert Bergh
Kövras So Far (Farifant) – Robert Bergh
Royal Navy Neo (From Above) – Björn Goop
Prosperous (Prodigious) – Marcus Lindgren
Eldorado B. (Maharajah) – Hans-Owe Sundberg
Son Of God (Pastor Stephen) – Daniel Redén
Vainqueur R.P. (Infinitif) – Frode Hamre

Schedule for 2019 World Driving Championship set

The 2019 World Driving Championship is scheduled in Sweden next year and drivers from all over the world will experience the spring in Stockholm during the weekend of Elitloppet.

The first competition in WDC will take place at Solvalla on Friday May 24, two days ahead of the Elitloppet and the drivers then move west, for Lindesberg racetrack on Monday May 27.

Tuesday May 28, Eskilstuna, Wednesday May 29, Rättvik follow before Gävle racetrack closes the World Driving Championship 2019 on Friday May 31.

Sweden is also the host of the World Trotting Conference held in conjunction with the World Driving Championship.