by Thomas Hedlund

Charlottenlund in Copenhagen, Denmark, plays host to one of the big events of the year in Danish harness racing this weekend. Sunday’s (Aug. 28) $162,000 Derby for 4-year-olds is the highlight of the meeting.

Jeppe Juel-trained Garfield (S.J.’s Caviar) won eight-out-of-eight races as a 3-year-old and he has three wins in four starts this season, which ought to mean that he’s the probable favorite when the 12 horses strong field will gather behind the car on Sunday afternoon.

The Danish Derby is a 3,000 meters race and it’s usually a well-attended event in Copenhagen.

DANISH DERBY 2022

3,000 meters

Horse – Sire – Driver

1. Great Friction – Friction – Mads Hviid

2. Gunpowder – Brillantissime – Rene Jonassen

3. Gasolin – Ens Snapshot – Steen Juul

4. Garfield – S.J.’s Caviar – Jeppe Juel

5. Get A Wish – Wishing Stone – Bo Westergaard

6. Galliano Peak – Ganymede – Birger Jörgensen

7. Goop – Love You – Michael Nimczyk

8. Gandhi – Great Challenger – Flemming Jensen

9. Grady Boom Bay -O’Grady – Knud Mönster

10. Gautut Gardenia – Racer Bourbon – Jeppe Rask

11. Gibson – Gigant Neo – Ken Ecce

12. Gianluca – Djali Boko – Bent Svendsen

ETONNANT OR VIVID WISE AS?

Alessandro Gocciadoro-trained Vivid Wise As (Yankee Glide) has dominated the $180,000 Grand Prix du Departement des Alpes-Maritimes in Cagnes-sur-Mer the past three years and on Saturday (Aug. 27) night he will face Elitloppet winner Etonnant in the mile race.

Matthieu Abrivard has become the first pilot behind Gocciadoro’s trotter and the first impression of the Saturday’s edition of Grand Prix du Departement des Alpes-Maritimes is that Vivid Wise As very well can bring home his fourth consecutive win in Cagnes-sur-Mer’s big mile race for the summer.

GRAND PRIX DU DEPARTEMENT DES ALPES-MARITIMES 2022

1,609 meters

Horse – Driver

1. Delia du Pommereux – David Thomain

2. Eden Basque – Nicolas Ensch

3. Eileen – Romain Derieux

4. Etonnant – Anthony Barrier

5. Bleff Dipa – Roberto Vecchione

6. Ecureuil Jenilou – Gwenn Junod

7. Vivid Wise As – Matthieu Abrivard

8. Eclat de Gloire – Loris Garcia

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPS SHOW UP IN SUNDSVALL

Three of this summer’s dominant older trotters in northern Europe will enter the track of Bergsåker in Sundsvall, Sweden, when $188,000 Sundsvall Open Trot over 2,140 meters is on the race card Saturday (Aug. 27).

Moni Viking (Maharajah), winner of Åby Stora Pris two weeks ago, Don Fanucci Zet (Hard Livin), winner of Norrbottens
Stora Pris, Årjängs Stora Sprinterlopp and Hugo Åbergs
Memorial and Stoletheshow (Dream Vacation), winner of Oslo Grand Prix, Ulf Thoresen International and Norwegian Championship, will all try to grab the trophy in Sundsvall, but there are several other horses that have capacity to fight for the win.

SUNDSVALL OPEN TROT 2022

2,140 meters

Horse – Driver

1. Moni Viking – Björn Goop

2. Makethemark – Ulf Ohlsson

3. Best Ofdream Trio – Kim Eriksson

4. Brother Bill – Magnus A Djuse

5. Millindollarrhyme – Rikard N Skoglund

6. Don Fanucci Zet – Örjan Kihlström

7. Sayonara – Carl Johan Jepson

8. Esprit Sisu – Daniel Wäjersten

9. Stoletheshow – Erik Adielsson

10. Zaccaria Bar – Mats E Djuse