by Thomas Hedlund

Two division finals of the $100,000 Breeders Course for 2-year-old trotters were held at Jägersro racetrack on Wednesday (Oct. 2) night and in the fillies’ event, Dutch trainer Paul Hagoort seized the top-three positions.

Robin Bakker, Hagoort’s regular driver, sat behind Gourmet d’Arc (Six Pack) and after a quick first quarter, Bakker could slow the pace down, which resulted in a very safe win in 1:59.

Hagoort’s Greta Jet held for second place after a trip as second on the inside and third stablemate Phoebe Boko captured the bronze medal.

Dutch trainers totally dominated Breeders Course on Wednesday night. Erwin Bot let Örjan Kihlström drive Pele Boko (Readly Express), who was the bettors first choice in the final for colts and geldings, and when Pele Boko held the opponents on his outside from the start, the drama was over. A quick start, slow second part of the race and stretch speed resulted in a safe win in 1:59.4 for the favorite. Ghirardelli was the runner-up ahead of Grantorino Font.

GerritsRecyclingGroup in Netherlands, a big investor in the harness racing business in Europe, could look back at a pretty nice evening in Malmö as both winners of the Breeders Course are connected to them.

UPSET IN FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE

Well-merited trotters Hohneck, Just A Gigolo, Hokkaido Jiel and Gu d’Heripre were called to the French northern countryside when the $115,000 Grand Prix Anjou-Maine was held on Wednesday (Oct. 2) afternoon, but the 2,875 meter-long event culminated in an upset win by an 8-year-old gelding, trained by Laurent-Claude Abrivard.

Favorite Ino du Lupin, who dominated in his category at Vincennes the previous winter, left position in third, fourth over, a mile into the race and in the last turn, Ino du Lupin seemed to have disarmed leader Hymne du Gers. And Ino du Lupin looked to sail away to victory in the stretch, but his gait began to fail the closer he got to the wire and shortly before the finish he made a break. Gendreen (Boccador de Simm) attacked outside of Ino du Lupin in the stretch and the ground saving trip proved to be valuable in the end. Gendreen got the advantage of the race when Ino du Lupin went off-stride and he held quick finisher Inexess Bleu a length behind at the wire. Hohneck, who started with a 25-meter disadvantage, finished strongly in third.

Gendreen won in a mile rate of 1:55.1 over 1.7 miles.