Face Time Bourbon (4m Ready Cash-Vita Bourbon-Love You) easily won today’s UET 400,000€ Grand Prix held at Vermo racecourse, Helsinki, Finland.
Harness racing driver Bjorn Goop reined the 1.48/1 odds favorite for trainer Sebastien Guarato and owner Scuderia Bivans Srl. The victory was his 16th in a 19 race career now for 933,550€ earned after the 200,000€ first prize today.
Goop had the winner placed third on the pegs early from post four and then moved behind cover with a lap remaining. He then brushed three wide on the backside of the last lap and it was essentially over.
Face Time Bourbon, perhaps the top four year old in Europe, was a five length winner over Frisbee d’Am (4m The Best Madrik-Miska des Rondes-Extreme Aunou) piloted by Alexandre Abrivard and Mister F Daag (4m Conway Hall-Miss Love-Love You) with Robin Bakker teaming for Paul Hagoort. Race time was 1.10.7kr over the 2120 meter autostart course. Chart and photos follow:
Earlier on the Vermo card was the EM-3 for 60,000€ to the winner of this 2120 meter autostart test. The undefeated Ecurie D (3m Infinitif-To Soon-Muscle Yankee) remained so for teamster Bjorn Goop and timed in 1.13.5kr. It was not without a scare as the 1.3/1 favorite was offstride before the start and far behind the field. He caught the rivals at the halfway point and Goop patiently waited until the final bend before engaging the leaders.
In the lane he was much the best and defeated Golden Dream ME (3m Buzzin Brian-TJ Mixy-Armbro Plush) with Noralf P. Braekken up and the third finishing Raskolnikov Frido (3m Muscle Hill-Hulda Frido-Love You) reined by Santtu Raitala. The winner is trained by Frode Hamre for owner Jean Pierre Dubois and now has an eight-race win streak.
Between these events was the EM-5 for 50,000€ to the winner of the 2120 meters autostart event. Stonecapes Queila (5f Otello Pierji-Fast Food US-SJs Caviar) scored, timed in 1.11.9kr for Hannu Torvinen. She defeated Portland (5m Ganymede-Eiffe;l Bi-Sugarcane Hanover) reined by trainer Bjorn Goop, with third earned by Hotshot Luca (5m Dream Vacation-Emma Rose-Andover Hall) with Pekka Korpi aboard.
The winner recorded her 12th career victory in 31 outings with seven wins this year.
by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink