The 27.8/1 odds Dijon (6m Ganymede-Sonate d’Aunou-Coktail Jet) with Romain Derieux up for owner Mauricette De Sousa led gate to wire to victory in the Elitloppet harness racing final (3,000,000SEK first prize) timed in 1.10.3kr (fractions 1.08.1kr at the 500 meter mark and 1.09.9kr at the 1000).
He was off quickly and first from five post, placing second elim winner and favorite Aubrion du Gers (9g Memphis du Rib-J’Arrive du Gers-Baccarat du Pont) in the pocket.
Aubrion, handled by Jos, Verbeeck, vacated the pocket to avoid congestion, to follow Propulsion (8m Muscle Hill-Danae-Andover Hall) and he was shuffled some six lengths from Dijon when Propulsion, reined by Orjan Kihlstrom, stalled on the backstretch, necessitating a three-wide move. Aubrion rallied gamely in the lane finishing a diminishing second by a neck at the line.
ATG, Maharajah.se photos
Makethemark (6m Maharajah-Global Naughty-Conway Hall) and pilot Ulf Ohlsson finished third after a good trip on the pegs. Propulsion lasted for fourth and Milliondollarrhyme was fifth for Fredrik B. Larsson. The race was marred when then co-favorite Readly Express was a late scratch lame.
It was also quite obvious that the winning Dijon was pacing the final two strides but there was no inquiry.
Dijon won for 13 time in a 50 race career and now has earnings of 10,739,454SEK.
In elimination one (250,000SEK to the winner, 1609 meters autostart, eight starters) Readly Express (7m Ready Cash-Caddie Dream-Viking Kronos) scored in a rated 1.10.2kr for driver Bjorn Goop and trainer Timo Nurmos. Fractions were 1.08.4kr at the first 500 meters and 1.11.7kr at the 1000. Readly Express led throughout to score by a length over Makethemark and Looking Superb (6m Orlando Vici-Classical Pine-Silver Pine), that Ake Svanstedt drove for trainer Jean Michel Bazire.
Readly Express wins elim one
This one pressed the front from off the final bend and could not advance late in the lane.
Elim two had favored Aubrion du Gers as a front-end winner from post one for Jos. Verbeeck and owner/trainer Jean-Michel Bazire.
The victory was his 16 th in a row and 46 th for the career, and he was clocked in a rated 1.10.2kr (1.10.5kr at the 500; 1.10.7kr at the 1000 meter mark).
Aubrion du Gers takes elim two
When Verbeeck pulled the plugs late in the final bend he opened a three-length advantage and cruised home. Propulsion held second for Orjan Kihlstrom and Dijon rallied late for third driven by his trainer Romain Derieux.
As stated above, Readly Express was scratched lame just prior to the final and paraded before the fans, perhaps for a final time.
Thomas H. Hicks