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ALL THE LATEST ON THE EUROPEAN SCENE BROUGHT TO YOU BY HARAS DES TROTTEURS NORWAY There was a stellar under- card to the Oslo Grand Prix led by the Bjerke Cup, which is run on a similar format to the Elitloppet and is part of the UET Masters Series. Jerry Riordan’s Rod Stew- art, an Italian-bred son of Love You defeated Italy’s Rin- gostarr Treb (Classic Photo) from Holger Ehlert’s stable. Both were the respective heat winners. Another son of Love You, Ragolo was third. The winner’s time in the final was 1’11”2 (1.54.3). Another Italian raider Tim- one EK (Mr Vic) won the Euro- pamatch for 5YOs defeating two Swedish-breds Exodus Hanover (Andover Hall) and Buzz Mearas (Dream Vaca- tion). Thomas Uhrberg’s Playing Tua (Gigant Nwo) won the elite mares race while the elite stayers race went to Jonas Moberg’s Paleo Pride (Dream Vacation). Sweden’s Stefan Melean- der trained the first three home in the 3YO elite race with Cruzado Dela Nochev (Muscle Massive), Divisionist (Andover Hall) and US import French Laundry (Muscles Yankee). Norway’s Pekka Makela’s MAS Archie (Holi- day Credit) defeated Black- hawk (Dream Vacation) to win the 3YO elite race. FINLAND Mika Haapakangas’ Spe- cial Promise won the Killer- in Elitti at Jyvaskyla on the weekend. The son of Mr Pine Chop edged out Regent Zet (Tibbe Lavec) and Jonesy (Muscles Yankee) in a time of 1’11”6 for the 1640 trip. SEBASTIEN GUARATO’s su- perstar Bold Eagle made an impressive comeback to the races with an easy win at Vincennes. Bold Eagle who had not raced since February 28, settled into a perfect trail be- hind stablemate Bolero Love in the 2175m feature. Into the home straight Franck Nivard shook the reins on the son of Ready Cash and he cruised by Bo- lero Love to win in a slick 1’10”8 (1.53.4). Bolero Love (Love You) held on for second ahead of Billie de Montfort (Jasmine de Flore), another from the barn of Sebastien Guarato. On Saturday’s undercard Dragon des Racques (Love You) finished strongly to get up and beat Diablo Du Noy- er (Jasmin de Flore) and an unlucky Dream Darling (Sam Bourbon) in the Group III Prix de Gien for 3YO colts. In the fillies division Philippe Allaire-trained Difa Girl made it two for Love You with her victory over two Ital- ian-bred fillies, Uriel (Zinzan Brooke Tur) and Unison Kro- nos (Donato Hanover) Yesterday Safari Dream made all the running to win in the Group III Monte, the Prix Jean Paul Fairand at Vin- cennes. Lolita Baylan had the field strung out from the outset as she set a cracking pace on the veteran Gai Brillant geld- ing, at 10 in his last season of racing. Safari Dream only Ugo On Wood (Nuage Noir) as company as they turned for home, and Loius Abrivard pulled him out to challenge. But Safari Dream dug in and held a two length ad- vantage down the straight. Tonerre de Retz (First de Retz) was a distant third. Safari Dream’s 12th victory took his earnings to €435K. FRENCH FACT One of the biggest days in French racing, President’s Day at Vincennes is on June 26. There are three Group ones and three other group races on the day, with the feature event being the Prix du President de la Repub- lique, a monte for 4YOs. There are also two 3YO group ones, the Prix d’Essai monte and the Prix Albert Viel under harness. BOLD EAGLE SWOOPS UET MASTERS SERIES The Jamtlands Stora Pris at Ostersund, Sweden, was one of three UET Masters Series races in Europe on the week- end. Jennifer Tillman on Royal Fighter fought off Jorm Kontio on Chelsea Boko to gain control of the race and set a high pace for the first lap, at which point Erik Adielsson set Call Me Keeper forward to sit parked. By the turn Chelsea Boko was under extreme pressure from Call Me Keeper, who surged to the lead and then fought off the challenge of Adrian Kolgjini on El Mago Pelli- ni while Nimbus CD flew home late for third.T Call Me Keeper has been trained in recent times at Swed- ish trainer Daniel Redén’s French barn, but was brought back to his native Sweden to compete in the Elitloppet, where he broke stride in his heat. The Jamtlands Stora Pris victory was carved out in a time of 1”11’4 (1.54.4) for the 2140 meters with the win worth 700 000 SEK. Call Me Keeper (pictured) leapt onto the UET Masters Series table in 68th place with the 250 points earned for the win. Your Highness leapt to third place with her quadruple point (1000) haul at the Oslo Grand Prix, while Rod Stew- art’s win in the Bjerke Cup also shot him up the table to 31st place. UET MASTERS SERIES POINTS 1 Oasis Bi (ITA) 2700; 2 Bold Eagle (FRA) 2300; 3 Your Highness (ITA) 2200; 4 Nuncio (USA) 1850; 5 Lionel (NOR) 1750; 6 Timoko (FRA) 1700; 7 Un Mec d’Heripre (FRA) 1650; 8 Creatine (USA) 1600; 9= Votliguer de Myrt, Orsia (ITA) 1550; 11 Delicious U.S. (USA) 1250; 12 Mo- saique Face (SWE) 1150; 13 Moses Rob (ITA) 1100, 14 Robert Bi (ITA) 1000; 15 Pascia’Lest (ITA) 975. LOVE YOU QUEVERT (Winner 2200m Alexandra Park, NZ) LE REVEUR (Winner 1700m Alexandra Park, NZ) DIEU DE LAMOUR (3rd 2113m Fairfield) DRAGON DES RACQUES (Winner Group III 2700m Vincennes) BELINA JOSSE- LYN (Winner Grand National 2875m Laval) BONNE COPINE (Winner 2850m Vin- cennes) DIFA GIRL (Winner 2700m Vincennes) DUBAI DREAM (Winner 2225m Laon) BOLERO LOVE (2nd Group II 1’11”0/2175m Vincennes) CESARIO BELLO (2nd 2850m Mauquenchy) CONNECTICUT (2nd 3000m Borely) VICTORIOUS LOVE (3rd 2650m Saint-Omer) CAP MATYSS (3rd Group II 1’14”1/2700m Vincennes) DO YOU LOVE ME (3rd 2850m Vincennes) CHIPIE JOLIE (3rd 2650m Saint- Omer) SAM BOURBON PRETTY FANTASTIC (Winner 2200m Cambridge, NZ), BOURBON AND DRY (Winner 2400m Nelson, NZ) WOT UP (3rd 2400m Nelson, NZ) CRYSTAL WIC (Winner 2050m Agen-La Garenne) DESOTO (Winner 2575m Agen-La Garenne) DREAM DARLING (3rd 2700m Vin- cennes) ORLANDO VICI VANDERLOV (Winner 3525m Vichy) BOTTARUS (Winner 3025m Borely) CICERON D’OR (2nd 2725m Grenade-Sur-Garonne) VICOMTE DE CORVEIL (3rd 2625m Chatelaillon) CISA DU MOUCHEL (3rd 2750m Saint-Aubin) READY CASH BOLD EAGLE (Winner Group II 1’10”8/2175m Vin- cennes) CHANCE (Winner 2700m Vincennes) BUN- KER DU PRIEURE (2nd 1’14”0/2700m Vincennes) ASTOR DE ROZOY (Winner 2825m Rambouillet) ATHE- NA FRANCA (Winner 3000m Borely) BEST MATCH (Winner 2000m Rambouillet) BALOO DU NORD (2nd Saint-Omer) CHERIE CASH (2nd 2850m Maure de Bretagne) BE BOP MARCEAUX (2nd 2725m Grenade-La Garonne) DAY TO DAY (2nd 2450m Caen) BE CASH MONEY (2nd 2825m Mauquenchy) REPEAT LOVE DREAM OF JOB (Winner 2425m Saint-Aubin) CROIX DU BUISSON (2nd 2200m Caen) CALIN D’HAVAROCHE (3rd 2800m Rambouillet) THE BEST MADRIK COCOON AGE (Winner 2850m Maure de Bretagne) CYBELE DU RABUTIN (3rd 2850m Parilly) QUAKER JET BLEU INDIGO (Winner 2650m Alencon) AND VE- NESI (Winner 2850m Feurs) CRISTAL DU GITE (Winner 2150m Vichy) DROLEMENT JOLIE (2nd 2700m Segre) BIELOVO D’HOA (2nd 2800m Strasbourg) CORTERA (2nd 2725m Grenade-La Ga- ronne) CYBELE DU VERNET (2nd 2050m Feurs) AZIZA DJOB (3rd 2850m Maure de Bretagne) MILE RATE CONVERSION: 2.00 =1’14”6, 1.57=1’12”7, 1.54=1’10”8, 1.51= 1’09. Brilliant Swedish-bred mare Your Highness will return to French racing following her stunning win over Nuncio in the Oslo Grand Prix on the weekend. The Choclolatier mare, who is trained at Haras de Ginai by Fabrice Solouy, is entered in the Group I René Ballière at Vincennes on President’s Day, June 26. Your Highness was a late scratching from the Elitlop- pet, but bounced back to down US-import Nuncio in the Group I Oslo Grand Prix in record breaking fashion at the Bjerke racetrack in Norway on Monday. In the hands of Swedish master driver Bjorn Goop, Your Highness disputed the lead as the Oslo Grand Prix field left the mobile gate but Lutfi Kolgjini on Mosaique Face held them out from the pole position and assumed control. Your Highness quickly pulled out of the trail to sit outside Un Mec d’Heripre and then managed to get the perfect sit as race favourite, Stefan Melander’s Elitloppet champ Nuncio (Andover Hall) loomed up to sit in the one-one as Mosaique Face (Classic Photo) towed the field around the first lap of the 2100m trip in a sizzling 1’11”1. Nuncio quickly collared Mosaique Face as they turned for home but could not hold off of Your Highness who came off his back and powered home, stopping the clock in a race record 1’10”5 for the 2100m. Un Mec d’Heripre was a closing third, as he had been in the Elitloppet, while Norwegian star Papagayo E (Coktail Jet) rocketed home for fourth. Your Highness is un- beaten in her last eight starts and has won nine of ten since joining Fabrice Solouy’s Haras de Ginai operation which has a large international clientele. Solouy’s stablehas suc- cessfully picked some of the richest plums off this season’s European’s Spring bounty including the Group one Olympiatravet (Sweden), Copenhagen Cup (Denmark) with Your Highness. Stablemate Pascia’Lest (Varenne) won this year’s Prix Costa Azzura. a heat of the Lotteria in Italy and was runner up in the Sweden Cup in Solvalla recently, while Un Mec d’Heripre (Or- lando Vici) won a heat of the Elitloppet, and was a brave third in the final, and again in Monday’s race. Your Highness’ 25th victo- ry was worth 1.5m NOK and takes her lifetime earnings to around €770K. Your Highness dethrones Nuncio in Oslo Bold Eagle wins the Prix Louis Jariel at Vincennes. GERARD FORNI NEW ZEALAND Sam Bourbon had two win- ners and a placegetter in New Zealand last week. Robert Dunn’s Bourbon And Dry impressively won a maiden in Nelson on Friday in which another Sam Bourbon progeny, Wot Up (Michael Howear) was placed third. On Sunday, Pretty Fantas- tic cleared maidens at Cam- bridge for Sean McCaffrey and Ross Paynter. From his first crop of six 4YOs, Sam Bourbon has now sired three winners including Listed NSW winner Twice As Much. Love You also had two win- ners last week, both at Auck- land with Quevert and Le Reveur both winning for Can- terbury trainer Paul Nairn. Your Highness, left, gets up on the outside Nuncio to win the Oslo Grand Prix. GERARD FORNI
