by Thomas Hedlund

Saturday’s (April 19) $200,000 Prix de l’Atlantique at Enghien racetrack in Paris included some of the best horses in France. Go On Boy, Hussard du Landret, Hohneck, Hooker Berry and Etonnant are all winners of big events in Europe. When Etonnant eventually hit the lead in the 2,150-meter race, the most merited trotters all were in the front of the field. Etonnant was on the lead with favorite Go On Boy on the outside in a pace that well suited the front trotters and Go On Boy could easily disarm Etonnant in the home stretch. Etonnant showed that he needs more races in his big body before he peaks. Go On Boy seemed to meet the wire as a winner in the Prix de l’Atlantique, but the home stretch at Enghien is a long journey, a never-ending story it seemed like, and Matthieu Abrivard’s Iguski Sautonne (Village Mystic) produced a very strong finish on the far outside and it was clear 50 meters from the wire that he was going to post the upset. Abrivard’s 31-1 shot impressed a lot with his strong ending of the race and he came home in a mile rate of 1:54.3 over 1.3 miles.

Replay here.

Go On Boy held on to second place and Ampia Mede Sm was given the bronze medal since Hooker Berry, who was third, was disqualified for racing outside of the track in the last turn.

Racing room appeared at the top of the stretch after a perfect pocket trip for Learn To Fly (Uriel Speed) and Eric Raffin in the $120,000 Prix de Tonnac-Villeneuve and by then, the race was over. Learn To Fly cruised to a safe win in a mile rate of 1:58.1 over 1.7 miles.

BORUPS VICTORY DEFENDS TITLE

Daniel Wäjersten’s Borups Victory (Googoo Gaagaa) performed on top when the $130,000 Seinäjoki Race was held in Seinäjoki, Finland on Saturday (April 19) afternoon.

As predicted, Stens Rubin kept the lead from his inside post while Borups Victory had to make it hard for the leader from his first over position. Wäjersten made an early move, targeting Stens Rubin and the pace increased dramatically after 500 meters. Both Stens Rubin and Borups Victory kept calm after the speed attack and the two favorites had acquired big chances of fighting for the win.

But as it turned out, Borups Victory played on another level compared to his opponents this day. In the end of the last turn, the advantage was his and the Googoo Gaagaa son had strength and moral enough to keep follower Massimo Hoist a safe distance behind him in the end.

Replay here.

A mile rate of 1:54 over 1.3 miles after a first over trip is just splendid and Borups Victory will most certainly grab more trophies during the season.

ZET-HORSES WERE TOPS ON GOOD FRIDAY

Daniel Redén presented two top performers on Good Friday (April 18) and the question whether Don Fanucci Zet (Hard Livin), now 9 years old, is a horse ready for Elitloppet is close to ridiculous. Don Fanucci Zet made his comeback after throat surgery in super style in the Eskilstuna. It was a race with moderate opponents, by all means, but the form Don Fanucci Zet showed was impressive as he danced to an outstanding 1:52.1 win.

The will-he-or-won’t-he Elitloppet question is more about his trainer.

Redén has a number of horses racing in the elite races in Europe and his Francesco Zet is already invited to Elitloppet. But the fans might be “tired” of seeing an old trotter that won the big race in 2021. That’s the unfair part of the Don Fanucci Zet story. In my opinion, he is the winner of Elitloppet 2025, but there is a risk that he never gets an invitation.

Further east in Sweden, in Karlstad, another Zet-trotter showed that he had developed some levels during the winter. Holcombe Zet (Daley Lovin) sprinted to the lead in the $60,000 Prins Carl Philips Jubileumspokal for 5-year-olds, meaning that heavy favorite Devilish Hill had to settle for parked first over. Holcombe Zet, third in the Breeders Crown final in November 2024, won the race in 1:51.4, the fastest mile in Europe so far in 2025. Impressive, and normally, a performance that opens the eyes of Elitloppet manager Anders Malmrot, but Holcombe Zet is just one out of many trotters from Redén’s stable good enough for all the big races in Europe and Holcombe Zet will probably have to wait for his turn regarding Elitloppet.

Norwegian trained Daim Brodda (Readly Express) took commando in the 4-year-old mares crop 2024 and in her debut this year, in the $30,000 Folke Hjalmarssons Minneslopp, she just looked splendid in an impressive wire-to-wire win in a mile rate of 1:54.3 over 1.3 miles.