by Thomas Hedlund

Öystein Tjomsland is well known for being one of the best trainers in northern Europe in terms of training cold blood trotters, but on Saturday afternoon (July 25), he also showed that he can produce stakes winners among standardbred horses.

His trainee Thankful (Muscle Hill—Peaceful Way) won the $32,400 Norwegian Championship for mares, paired with Tom Erik Solberg, after a third over trip. The duo disarmed front-runners Madelen L.T.C. and Miracle Tile over the home stretch and came home in mile rate 1:55.3 over 1.3 miles.

Per Oleg Midtfjeld’s Ferrari B.R. (Muscles Yankee) took a safe and slow start in $32,400 Norwegian Championship and found third over, a spot that Midtfjeld left for position first over with two laps to go in the 1.6 miles long race.

With 5/8ths of a mile left, Midtfjeld defended his position outside of leader Gretzky B.R. when Evil Enok M.E. was sent three wide and at the back stretch, Ferrari B.R. started to put heavy pressure on the leader. Gretzky B.R. capitulated and Ferrari B.R. held his neck ahead of strong finisher Kick Off Classic at the wire. The title defender in the race won in mile rate 1:57.4.

Drole de Jet second best in France?

Pierre Vercruysse has really put his 7-year-old Coktail Jet son Drole de Jet in perfect shape during the summer. In the $97,000 Prix de Washington mile race at Enghien racetrack in Paris on Saturday afternoon, Vercruysse managed to send his colt to the front from post 1 when quick starter Billie de Montfort was on the outside when the car accelerated from the field.

Drole de Jet got himself a couple of lengths advantage over the long home stretch of Enghien and managed to claim the victory in 1:52.2.

Drole de Jet was early invited to $450,000 Åby Stora Pris in Sweden in mid-August, but now it seems like Vercruysse has other plans for his star trotter.

”First we go to Grand Prix du Departement des Alpes-Maritimes and then the Lotteria in Naples, Italy,” Vercruysse toldf French media after the race at Enghien.

Drole de Jet finished second to Face Time Bourbon (Ready Cash) in Prix Réné Balliere at Vincennes on June 21 and noted a mile rate of 1:51.4 over 1.3 miles that day. A 1:52 victory in a mile race in La Capelle followed and few other French horses have shown better form than Drole de Jet this summer.

Drole de Jet replay.

The draw for $350,000 Hugo Åbergs Memorial set

Ten top trotters, among them undefeated 4-year-old Ecurie D, will chase fame and glory at Jägersro racetrack on Tuesday, July 28 and the draw for the big $350,000 Hugo Åbergs Memorial is set.

Ecurie D. will have to face a start from the second line, behind horses, but at his last performance, the 4-year-old super trotter solved that without any problems.

Hugo Åbergs Memorial 2020

Mile race

Horse – Driver

1. Cokstile – Wim Paal
2. Tae Kwon Deo – Adrian Kolgjini
3. Milligan’s School – Ulf Eriksson
4. Double Exposure – Örjan Kihlström
5. Vitruvio – Björn Goop
6. Racing Mange – Joakim Lövgren
7. Campo Bahia – Marc Elias
8. Zarenne Fas – Tom Erik Solberg
9. Ble du Gers – Jos Verbeeck
10. Ecurie D. – Erik Adielsson