by Thomas Hedlund

Tampere racetrack played host to the $225,000 Kriterium for 3-year-old Finnish bred trotters on Saturday (Sept. 28) and the winner was hard to find when 200 meters remained in the prestigious race.

The race’s first choice, Arctic Emerald, trained and driven by Pekka Korpi, hit the lead at an early stage of the race, and since the big favorite commanded great respect from his opponents, he sat on the lead and nothing much happened in the 2,600-meter-long event.??

And the spectators had probably given up all thoughts about a loss for Pekka Korpi’s Arctic Emerald, at least in the last turn and at the top of the stretch. Arctic Emerald was given the signal to race for real in the turn and he had a three or four length advantage on his opponents as he turned for home.

And it might have looked like Arctic Emerald lost pace in the stretch, but that is not the whole truth about what happened next. From a position third on the inside, racing room was given to Lil Runner and Antti Teivanen with 200 meters to go and despite the many lengths disadvantage, Lil Runner (So Perfect) flew to a tight win in a mile rate of 2:01.3 over 1.6 miles. Replayhere.

Arctic Emerald was second and Dollar Haven third.

GREAT SKILLS SHOWED GREAT SKILLS

Swedish championships for older trotters were determined in two $100,000 divisions at Åby racetrack on Saturday (Sept. 28) afternoon and Daniel Wäjersten’s Great Skills (Ready Cash) proved best among the Swedish-bred mares. Great Skills, with her long and effective gait, took over the lead with a kilometer remaining, which was a bit surprising since second choice Felicia Zet had reached the front position a few hundred meters earlier. Åby racetrack offers an open stretch, so maybe the choice of tactics on Örjan Kihlström’s part (Felicia Zet’s driver) was easy to understand, but at the same time, Great Skills escaped a tougher outside trip for two turns.

Great Skills lengthened her steps on the lead down the backstretch and the field divided as four horses kept up with the pace in front. Felicia Zet got her chance to challenge, but too late and not via the open stretch, so Great Skills held on and won by a length in a mile rate of 1:54 over 1.3 miles. Replayhere.

Felicia Zet was runner up ahead of good finisher Iceland Falls.

San Moteur, named by many fans as one of the best trotters in the world, was the big favorite in the open division of the Swedish Championship, but after a safe start where Björn Goop eventually found a position fourth over, the opponents made the way to victory too hard for him. San Moteur attacked from a first over position with a mile to go in the 2,640-meter-long race but leader High On Pepper (Ready Cash) and driver Jorma Kontio really wanted to defend the lead. So, Goop had to settle outside the leader with San Moteur. Nothing to be worried about when it comes to San Moteur? Well, to be honest, he is fast, but this wasn’t the first time he disappointed the racing fans in Sweden, because San Moteur was a beaten horse with 200 meters to go and High On Pepper just stepped away in great style in the stretch. Katja Melkko’s High On Pepper, who dominated the Swedish gold division during the entire winter, captured his third big race in 2024 as he effortlessly sprinted to victory in a mile rate of 1:55.3 over 1.6 miles.

Staro Mack Crowe finished second after a pocket trip and Mister Hercules followed as third after an inside journey.

FIELD SET FOR EUROPEAN DERBY

Vincennes in Paris, France, will play host to this year’s edition of $430,000 Grand Prix de l’U.E.T. for 4-year-old trotters bred in Europe.

Four qualification races were held this weekend, two of them at Vincennes on Friday (Sept. 27) night and the remaining two at Åby racetrack in Sweden on Saturday (Sept. 28) afternoon.

In Paris, Alessandro Gocciadoro claimed the first spot in the final on Oct. 11 as he sat behind Jean-Pierre Barjon-owned East Asia (Ready Cash), who impressed a lot. First over during the race’s first half mile and front position thereafter was the trip that East Asia needed for sprinting to a safe win in a strong mile rate of 1:53.2 over 1.3 miles. Replay here.

Favorite Koctel du Dain held for the bronze medal after a trip outside of leader East Asia and as runner up, Kaporal des Forges finished sprightly on the inside.

Sébastien Guarato trained Krack Time Atout (Face Time Bourbon) has battled in the top of the French K-crop for two seasons and managed to capture a win in Friday’s $65,000 Grand Prix de l’U.E.T. elimination. Krack Time Atout, with small margins to make up, disarmed Swiss contribution Kalattine just before the wire and the mile rate for Guarato’s horse was 1:53.1 over 1.3 miles. Replay here.

Kiara de Vandel finished third and will enter the final on Oct. 11.

Swedish Derby winner Fame And Glory was the heavy favorite in the first elimination at Åby on Saturday afternoon and driver Björn Goop did what he could trying to steer Timo Nurmos’ trotter first at the wire. But Fame And Glory was not as good as he was when he won the Derby earlier in September, and Daniel Wäjersten’s Kuiper (Face Time Bourbon) easily passed by the leading favorite in midstretch after being served a pocket trip. Kuiper won in a mile rate of 1:56 over 1.3 miles, Fame And Glory was second and Norwegian Derby winner Charron was third.

Runner up in the Swedish Derby, Epic Kronos (Muscle Hill) was outstanding after a tough trip in the last elimination for driver Örjan Kihlström. Epic Kronos had to race on leader Daim Brodda’s outside, but that didn’t bother Daniel Redén’s trotter, who left the opponents in the last turn and won in a mile rate of 1:54 over 1.3 miles. Norwegian runner up in the Derby, Just Like Heaven, finished strongly in second and Powwow was third.

The final at Vincennes will be held over 2,100 meters with 12 horses behind the gate.