Finlandia-Ajo
Group One International race | |
Location |
Vermo Racetrack, Helsinki, Finland |
---|---|
Inaugurated | 1980 |
Race type | Harness race for standardbred trotters |
Website | http://www.vermo.fi/finlandia/fi/finlandiayleista/index.php (in Finnish) |
Race information | |
Distance | 1,609 meters (1 mile) |
Track | Left-handed 1,000 meter track (0.62 mile) |
Qualification | Age 4-14. Invitational |
Purse | ≈US$247,000 (€190,000) |
Finlandia-Ajo (approximately: "The Finlandia Race") is an annual Group One harness event that takes place at Vermo Racetrack in Helsinki, Finland.[1][2] The competition, which was inaugurated in 1980, is regarded as Finland's biggest trotting event.[2] It is raced over the mile, 1,609 meters.[3] Finlandia-Ajo is part of the European Grand Circuit and the overall purse for the 2009 event was €190,000, equalling approximately US$247,000.[1][4] The fastest winning time in the history of the race is 1:10.8, run by Opal Viking in 2007.[3]
Racing conditions
Finlandia-Ajo is decided through a one-mile race. The first eight years (1980-1987), the race was over a slightly shorter distance (1,600 meters, 0.99 mile), but since 1988, the distance has been one mile. The race has always been started by the use of auto start.[3]
The 2009 Finlandia-Ajo
The starting list
- Turnaround - Lutfi Kolgjini
- Copper Beech - Conrad Lugauer
- Igor Font - Jean-Michel Bazire (Fabrice Souloy)
- Photocopy - Antti Teivainen (Lars-Erik Stenberg)
- Lönshults Danne - Johanna Lindqvist (Anders Lindqvist)
- Le Retour - Vincent Viel (Jean-Pierre Viel)
- Simb Chaplin - Markku Nieminen
- Shorthanded Goal - Mauri Jaara
- Camilla Highness - Peter Ingves (Petri Puro)[5]
French stallion Igor Font, trained by Fabrice Souloy and driven by Jean-Michel Bazire, was considered to be the favourite.[5]
The race
Turnaround took the lead initially, but handed it over to Copper Beech at an early stage. Favourite Igor Font followed in third and made his move down the back stretch when he followed Turnaround forward when Kolgjini moved out his Swedish stallion and attacked. Down the home stretch, Igor Font sprinted away and won the race easily. Lönshults Danne provided an inspired finish to end as runner-up and Camilla Highness came in third.[6][7]
The winning time for the French 5-year-old after Andover Hall, was 1:55.3 (mile rate)/1:11.8 (km rate). The winner's share of the purse was €110,000 (US$145,000).[8][6]
Past winners
Horses with most wins
- 2 - Giesolo de Lou (1999, 2000)
- 2 - Napoletano (1988, 1989)[3]
Drivers with most wins
- 4 - Jean-Michel Bazire (2005, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 3 - Stig H. Johansson (1988, 1989, 2004)
- 3 - Jorma Kontio (1985, 1986, 2007)
- 2 - Olle Goop (1983, 1987)
- 2 - Joseph Verbeeck (1998, 2003)
- 2 - Björn Goop (2010, 2012)
Trainers with most wins
- 4 - Fabrice Souloy (2003, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 3 - Olle Goop (1983, 1987, 2010)
- 2 - Jean-Etienne Dubois (1999, 2000)
- 2 - Stig Engberg (1988, 1989)
Sires with most winning offsprings
- 2 - Biesolo (Giesolo de Lou, Oiseau de Feux)
- 2 - Quick Pay (Atas Fighter L., Born Quick)
- 2 - Texas (Grades Singing, Copiad)
- 2 - Super Bowl (Davidia Hanover, Napoletano)[3]
Countries, number of wins
- 11 - France
- 10 - United States
- 9 - Sweden
- 4 - Finland
- 1 - Italy
Fastest winners
- 1:10.6 (km rate) - Quarcio du Chene (2010)[3]
All winners of Finlandia-Ajo
Year | Horse | Driver | Trainer | Winning horse's native country | Winning time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Univers de Pan | Philippe Daugeard | Philippe Daugeard | France | 1:10.7 |
2013 | Nesta Effe | Roberto Vecchione | Holger Ehlert | Italy | 1:10.9 |
2012 | Sebastian K | Björn Goop | Lutfi Kolgjini | Sweden | 1:11.1 |
2011 | Commander Crowe | Jean-Michel Bazire | Fabrice Souloy | Sweden | 1:13.7 |
2010 | Quarcio du Chene | Björn Goop | Olle Goop | France | 1:10.6 |
2009 | Igor Font | Jean-Michel Bazire | Fabrice Souloy | France | 1:11.8 |
2008 | Oiseau de Feux | Jean-Michel Bazire | Fabrice Souloy | France | 1:11.3 |
2007 | Opal Viking | Jorma Kontio | Nils Enqvist | Sweden | 1:10.8 |
2006 | Hot Shot Knick | Thomas Uhrberg | Kari Lähdekorpi | Sweden | 1:11.5 |
2005 | Kart de Baudrairie | Jean-Michel Bazire | Franck Leblanc | France | 1:12.2 |
2004 | Rotation | Stig H. Johansson | Stig H. Johansson | United States | 1:12.5 |
2003 | Kiwi | Joseph Verbeeck | Fabrice Souloy | France | 1:12.0 |
2002 | H.P. Paque | Trond Smedshammer | Trond Smedshammer | United States | 1:11.7 |
2001 | B.W.T. Magic | Ahti Antti-Roiko | Matti Salmi | Finland | 1:11.2 |
2000 | Giesolo de Lou | Jean-Etienne Dubois | Jean-Etienne Dubois | France | 1:11.2 |
1999 | Giesolo de Lou | Pierre Vercruysse | Jean-Etienne Dubois | France | 1:11.6 |
1998 | Dryade des Bois | Joseph Verbeeck | Jean-Baptiste Bossuet | France | 1:12.5 |
1997 | Zoogin | Åke Svanstedt | Åke Svanstedt | Sweden | 1:12.1 |
1996 | Isla J. Brave | Aki Antti-Roiko | Petri Klemola | Finland | 1:12.5 |
1995 | SJ's Photo | David Wade | David Wade | United States | 1:13.3 |
1994 | Copiad | Erik Berglöf | Erik Berglöf | Sweden | 1:12.5 |
1993 | Born Quick | Tommy Hanné | Tommy Hanné | Finland | 1:12.1 |
1992 | Otto-Mani | Antti Teivainen | Esa Aronen | Finland | 1:13.7 |
1991 | Atas Fighter L. | Torbjörn Jansson | Torbjörn Jansson | Sweden | 1:13.5 |
1990 | Florida Jewel | William Fahy | John Holloway | United States | 1:13.3 |
1989 | Napoletano | Stig H. Johansson | Stig Engberg | United States | 1:12.9 |
1988 | Napoletano | Stig H. Johansson | Stig Engberg | United States | 1:14.1 |
1987 | Grades Singing | Olle Goop | Olle Goop | United States | 1:14.1 |
1986 | Davidia Hanover | Jorma Kontio | Per Eriksson | United States | 1:14.7 |
1985 | Keystone Patton | Jorma Kontio | Antti Savolainen | United States | 1:14.1 |
1984 | Shane T. Hanover | Per Henriksen | Per Henriksen | United States | 1:14.9 |
1983 | Speedy Magnus | Olle Goop | Olle Goop | Sweden | 1:13.2 |
1982 | Dartster F. | Olle Hedin | Olle Hedin | Sweden | 1:13.9 |
1981 | Ideal du Gazeau | Eugene Lefevre | Eugene Lefevre | France | 1:14.3 |
1980 | Ejakval | Jean-Claude David | Jean-Claude David | France | 1:15.6 |
See also
References
- 1 2 "2009 Group I races calendar" (PDF). uet-trot.net. European Trotting Union (UET). Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- 1 2 "Shorthanded Goal mot Guldbjörken". v75.umaker.se (in Swedish). 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Finlandia-Ajo". qhurth.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- ↑ In the conversion from Euro to USD, the rates of 2009-04-21 have been used.
- 1 2 Mahlamäki, Timo (2009-04-19). "De gör upp i Finlandia-Ajo". travronden.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- 1 2 3 Hedlund, Thomas (2009-04-25). "Lätt för Igor Font". travronden.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ↑ "Igor Font Wins Finlandia-Ajo". standardbredcanada.ca. 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ↑ Bonsdorf, Karsten (2009-04-26). "Guida-owned mare sets world mark in Italy". ustrotting.com. United States Trotting Association. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- 1 2 "Finlandia-Ajo 1980 - 2007". vermo.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2009-04-21.
- ↑ "Travsport.se - Igor Font - Härstamning". Travsport.se (in Swedish). STC. Retrieved 2009-04-27.