Wäjersten’s rare daily double spanned two countries
The trainer/driver won on Saturday afternoon in Finland with Borups Victory and later that same day in Sweden with Gio Cash.
by Thomas Hedlund
It was Finland in the afternoon and northern Sweden later that same day. Some trainers and drivers had a busy Saturday (June 14) since two of the big summer races were held on the same day in Europe.
In Kouvola, Finland, the $180,000 Kymi Grand Prix was scheduled in the afternoon and the race became a high-speed story where favorite Borups Victory (Googoo Gaagaa) surprisingly had to fight hard for the lead when the field reached the backstretch the first time. Leader Holcombe Zet, paired with Rikard N. Skoglund wanted to test the big favorite and the two horses battled at a furious speed, before Borups Victory could be pushed to the lead.
Daniel Wäjersten could slow down the pace in front with Borups Victory, but in the last turn the speed increased again and a normal horse should have been marked by the race’s initial half-mile. Borups Victory wasn’t bothered. He looked as strong as ever when he left the challengers behind in the stretch and Sweden’s 2024 Horse of the Year was back in a winner’s circle in Finland. He won the Kymi GP last year and the Seinäjoki Race in 2024 and 2025.
Borups Victory finished fifth in Elitloppet final in the end of May and showed, by winning in a mile rate of 1:53.2 over 1.3 miles, that he will face a nice summer and fall, where several prestigious races wait.
Massimo Hoist was a brave runner-up ahead of Banderas Bi.
A flight back to Sweden waited for Wäjersten and the other drivers who had drives during the midnight trot in Boden. The $200,000 Norrbottens Stora Pris was on the menu in Sweden’s northernmost racetrack and the weather really played its role on Saturday night. The sun showed up and when the Norrbottens Stora Pris was underway, at 11 p.m., it was still sunny and like a midday event.
Don Fanucci Zet, runner-up in Elitloppet in May, was the favorite from post 7 behind the gate, but the initial part of the race became a difficult path where Örjan Kihlström had to settle in fourth over, while Wäjersten controlled the race in front behind his Gio Cash (Victor Gio).
Australia’s The Locomotive was served a nice second over trip, but he couldn’t follow the front horses in the last turn and this became The Locomotive’s last performance in Sweden for this time. The horse’s connections decided to return to Australia after the pale performance in Boden.
Gio Cash was making his third start for trainer Wäjersten and he was ready for a Group 1-winning performance. Gio Cash got several lengths advantage as the field turned for home and Don Fanucci Zet’s finish was not enough, even if it was one of the fastest homestretches ever by a horse in Sweden and Gio Cash claimed his first big win among older elite trotters. His mile rate over 1.3 miles was 1:54 and Gio Cash’s owner, Stal Carpenter Diem, from the Netherlands had made the long journey to Boden for the magical experience.
“It’s really nice when a horse like Gio Cash comes to the stable,” said Wäjersten after his second Group 1 victory on the same day. “I’ve seen him competing very well on a high level as a 2-, 3- and 4-year-old. It’s remarkable that the owners come to see the horse, traveling from The Netherlands and it feels great that they got to experience this tonight.”
Don Fanucci Zet was second ahead of Dolce Viky. And the sun continued to shine in Boden, the whole night.
ALLEGIANT UNSTOPPABLE IN SWEDEN
Allegiant (Tactical Landing—Too Good For You) impressed a lot when she won the 4-year-old Elite for mares at Solvalla on Elitloppet Day and on Wednesday (June 18) she was brilliant again, in her third start since she arrived in Sweden last fall.
In the $40,000 Prix Diana Zet, Allegiant stormed to the front in the first turn and the opponent’s respect for the new star in Daniel Redén’s barn was obvious. Allegiant got the signal from driver Kihlström at the top of the stretch and the 4-year-old super trotter danced to a safe win in a mile rate of 1:56.2 over 1.3 miles on a sloppy track. Replay here.
Redén and Kihlström continued by winning the $80,000 Prix Tetrick Wania, and it was another American-bred trotter that entered the winner’s podium after the race. Keep Asking (Chapter Seven—Sensibility) has showed incredible speed in his starts prior to Wednesday’s race. He was a brave runner-up behind Free Time Jepson at Solvalla on Elitloppet Day, that time from the lead. In Wednesday’s race he had to start from post 11, behind horses and after an initial 600 meters three wide, Keep Asking eventually found position first over, outside of leader Feldenkrais Pal. And the heavy trip on the sloppy track and over 1.3 miles couldn’t stop him from winning. This was a strong performance by the little trotter, bred by William J. Donovan and others.
Keep Asking won in a mile rate of 1:56.
