July 7, 2017 – Friday’s Grand Prix Champion Jarlsberg was raced in two eliminations and a final for Norway’s best harness racing four year-old trotters. The eliminations and final were raced over 1609 meters autostart (one mile) with the elims carrying a purse of 65,000NOk (30,000NOk to the winner. Purse for the final was 600,000NOk (300,000NOk to the winner).
In the final 3.8/1 Phantasm SOA (4m Cromwell-Uiver H-Uxer LM), off at 3.8/1 second choice, raced third over for driver Asbjorn Tengsareid before starting a three wide move midway on the backside of the second lap. In the lane the winner surged forward to score by a length timed in a record 1.09.8kr (1:52.31 mile rate). Phantasm finished second in elim one to 1.10.5kr timed Cokstile (4m Quite Easy-Joystile-Coktail Jet) driven by Kars Anvar Kolle, the horse that was second, as the 2/1 favorite, in the final. Shotproof (4m Yankee Glide-Shadowshot-Malabar Man) was third in the final for driver Flemming Jensen, after winning elim two clocked in 1.11.5kr.
In elim one Forever Peace (4m Muscle Hill-Peaceful Way-Angus Hall) finished third for Erlend Rennesvik. In elim two Always On Time (4m Revenue-Pimafarina-Windsongs Legacy) was second and third went to Chief Orlando (4m Orlando Vici-Muito Bonita-Felix Santana) driven by Frode Hamre that was off as 2.6/1 favorite.
Interestingly, the winning sire (Cromwell) has NY roots, being by Credit Winner-Skeptical Miss-Sir Taurus-Gilina-Speedy Somolli). This 2002 foal won the Zweig Memorial at age three, was exported and finished third in the Orsi Mangelli before competing in upper classes in Europe through age seven earning about US$500,000. He was a sharp individual with a slick gait that Phantasm reminds me of.
Thomas H. Hicks