Forss wins drivers championship in Germany

This day at Berlin Mariendorf was held the European Drivers Championship with ten of harness racing's best at the start in six races. The participants were Eririk Hoitomt (NO), Bjorn Goop (SW), Rik Depuydt (HOL), Michael Nimczyk (GE), Birgir Jorgensen (DK), Matthieu Abrivard (FR), Noel Baldacchino (SP), Gerhard Mayr (AU), Rick Ebbinge (NLD), Enrico Bellei (ITY), Csaba Lakatos (HU) and Mika Forss (FI).

Each race produced a separate winner (Hoitomt, Forss, Ebbinge, Bellei, Numczyk and Dupuydt. Forss also finished second twice and this earned the points victory. The fastest race (each for a purse of €10,000 and over 1900 meters autostart) was taken by Ebbinge driving the 1.14.1kr winning, 2.7/1 odds, Ufo de Valle (8g Yankee Matador-Yankee Dee). The winning driver earned a spot in the next World Driving Championship.

Each drivers’ challenge race on the Mariendorf card was named after a former winner: ( Knud Monster – 2014), Roland Hulskath (2008), Christophe Martens (2006), Jorma Kontio (1998), Hugo Langeweg (2002), and Juan Antonio Riera Rossello (2004).

The program also featured the Summer Championship (purse €10,000, 2000 meters distance handicap) with victory to 1.9/1 odds, 1.13.7kr timed, Abano H (9g Abano As, Countess Diamond) for driver Thorsten Tietz. 3/1 Montecore Mo (7g Joker Mauriotz-Mystere Hanover) took second for Michael Nimczyk ahead of 22/1 New Generation (7m Oscar Schindler SL-Nuke It Linsay) driven by legendary teamster and trainer Heinz Wewering.

Archibald wins Q+ at Cabourg

Today’s Quinte+ (jackpot €2,600,000) was at Cabourg in the Prix Henri Balliere (purse €36,000, 2850 meters distance handicap) with the win earned by 25 meter penalized, 6.1/1 odds, Archibald (6g Meaulnes du Corta-Lehore) with Thomas Levesque teaming. Thomas trains the Pierre Levesque owned campaigner that was timed in 1.14.6kr over his 2875 meter course. 6.3/1 Arythmie du Triv (6f Lontzac-Pomone du Trio) took second for Tony LeBeller ahead of 3.8/1 Astre d’Eglefin (6g Orlando Sport-Quaoline Turgot), also handicapped 25 meters, with A,G, Maillard the trainer/driver.

Thomas H. Hicks