September 13, 2015 – Glen Ord Superb (4m Orlando Vici-Orions Hilda) won Sunday’s VG Norwegian Trotting Derby (purse €234,895, 2600 meters autostart, 12 starters) at 1.8/1 odds for harness racing trainer/driver Geir Vegard Gundersen and owner Erik Sandbaek. The winner recorded his 10th victory in 17 career starts.
6.5/1 Victory Lap (4m Staro Showbiz-Princess Valley N) was second for trainer/driver Olav Mikkelborg, ahead of 2.8/1 Thaiu Navigator (4g Ganymede-Role Model) driven by Eirik Hoitomt for trainer Bo Westergaard. The race was clocked in 1.13.76kr.
On the Bjerke card was also the Finn Tack Norwegian Kriterium for three-year olds (purse €181,485, 2100 meters autostart) with the victory earned by 13.5/1 odds El Toro BR (3m Coktail Jet-I’m Prompt Too) trained by Bjorn Goop for BR Invest Denmark and reined by Tom-Erik Solberg. Timed in 1.15.19kr the winner now has three career wins in five starts.
37/1 Photo Lavec (3m SJ’s Photo-Joyful Lavec) was second for Per Oleg Midtfjeld with 52/1 Greyhound d’Estino (3m Muscle Mass-Tina Tilar) third for trainer/driver Pal Buer.
The winning owner also started two others, both trained by Trond Smedshammer. El Muro BR (by Muscles Yankee) finished seventh and race favorite El Diablo BR (by Muscle Hill) was disqualified due to miscues.
The 2013 Derby winner Support Justice was on the card today and was victorious in a 2100 meter autostart event for fast-class older trotters. He was an open-lengths winner clocked in 1.10.8kr for Geir Vegard Gundersen. US-bred Kapow Hanover finished third.
In conjunction with the Derby was held the annual yearling auction at Olso and the sale topper was the colt Magic Tile (Cantab Hall-High Eleven L-SJ’s Photo) at US$67,500.
Thomas H. Hicks