by Thomas Hedlund

Friday’s (Nov. 1) $270,000 Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli for 3-year-old trotters in Torino became a grandiose show directed by Alessandro Gocciadoro. And that fact, that Alessandro Gocciadoro dominates the most prestigious races in Italy, is nothing new. Gocciadoro has trained five of the last eight winners in the Orsi Mangelli and he had strong weapons in both eliminations on Friday’s card.

French contribution Lovino Bello, who came from impressive performances in France, was the big favorite in the first elimination, but Lovino Bello had to capitulate to outside trotter, Italian Derby winner, First Of Mind (Face Time Bourbon), driven by Roberto Vecchione, trained by Alessandro Gocciadoro and the latter sat in the bike behind Falco Killer Gar (Varenne) in the second elimination and it ended with a strong first over-win.

The final of the Orsi Mangelli developed into another big show from Gocciadoro. Falco Killer Gar was pushed to the lead after 500 meters and stablemate First Of Mind attacked three wide from his third over position with less than a half mile to go. First Of Mind finished strongly, but could never seriously challenge Falco Killer Gar in the stretch. First and second place for Gocciadoro’s stable as winner Falco Killer Gare won in 1:55.1. Lovino Bello grabbed the bronze medal behind Gocciadoro’s horses.

It’s rare not mentioning Gocciadoro when basically all big European races are on the agenda and it goes without saying that he claimed even the $95,000 filly division of the Orsi Mangelli.

Funny Gio (Face Time Bourbon) had to race three- and four-wide during the last kilometer, but she still had the best power when the fillies turned for home. Funny Gio won in 1:55.1.

DJUSE ON FIRE IN ITALY

Swedish top driver, Magnus A Djuse, 24, has been given nice opportunities racing in Italy lately. Besides the dominance in his home country, Gocciadoro has tried the young driver behind good horses in some of Italy’s biggest events, like the $250,000 Gran Premio Delle Nazione in Milan on Sunday (Oct. 27) afternoon.

Always Ek (Filipp Roc) came to Milan after a convincing victory in the $165,000 Gran Premio Gaetano Turilli in Rome and he followed up by winning the ”Nazione” after a race where Always Ek was pushed to the lead after 500 meters.

Djuse noted that his drive this day was pretty outstanding and Always Ek won in a stakes record time of 1:54 over 1.3 miles.

Go On Boy finished second and Gocciadoro’s Dolce Viky was third.

GASPAR D’ANGIS BEST ON THE FIRST DAY IN PARIS

Vincennes’ winter meeting started on Thursday (Oct. 31) afternoon and the race card’s biggest event was the $100,000 Prix des Cevennes for older trotters.

Some well merited horses showed up in the 2,850-meter long race and winner Gaspar d’Angis (Quaro) found front position one kilometer into the race. When in front, Eric Raffin could play his tactical skills well before he stepped on the gas pedal at the top of the stretch. Gaspar d’Angis sprinted to a superior win in a mile rate of 1:56.3 and the Jean-Michel Baudouin trained gelding dominated the French Grand National du Trot-circuit last season. As a gelding, Gaspar d’Angis is excluded from the winter meeting’s Grand Prix-races, but there are some big objectives to aim at in the months to come.

EMOTIONAL WIN FOR GUNDERSENS

Bjerke racetrack in Oslo, Norway, played host to the $58,000 Axel Jensens Minneslopp for 4-year-old trotters on Saturday (Nov. 2) night and the race included interesting horses like Kilmister (winner of the $337,000 Peter Haughton Memorial in 2022) and Crown (winner of the $280,000 Sprintermästaren in July this year), so it looked to be a spectacular mile race.

Three quarters of the mile was not that spectacular. Not at all in fact, because Erik Adielsson sent Kilmister to the lead and kept the pace at an even, appropriate level, which led to a big chance of winning for the leader.

But some higher power wanted something else.

Nothing bad about Kilmister (third) and Crown (runner up after a tough trip), but the night in Oslo belonged to Geir Vegard and Magnus Teien Gundersen. Their Derby winner Charron (Code Bon) flew four-wide throughout the last turn and disarmed Crown and Kilmister just before the wire and won in 1:53.4.

It was hard to fight back the tears for, I guess, everyone watching the races from Bjerke when Charron hit the wire as a winner. Geir Vegard Gundersen’s wife, Magnus Teien Gundersen’s mother, Charlotte, 53, tragically died last weekend and Charlotte was an important part of the Gundersen Stable’s success and business. Geir Vegard’s tears said it all. Charron won and we all got a reminder about the fragile life we’ve been given. This was an emotional moment, not only for Geir Vegard and Magnus Teien, as tears were falling even in front of the television.