When Stall Irish Coffee secured a two-year-old by Victor Ludorum at the newly introduced Aktem auction in Paris in June, Øvrevoll was the target. On Sunday afternoon the investment paid off in the season’s last two-year-old race on the dirt track, where Bourbon Blaze took the 40,950 Norwegian kroner first prize for Jan-Erik Neuroth and Oliver Wilson.
It was the fourth start of Bourbon Blaze’s career, and the first three had produced two second places. Number four was something else: he pulled almost ten lengths clear of the field. Neuroth had four of the seven runners, and they filled both the first two and the last two places.
Solana (Appel Au Maitre) was second on her debut, while Sweet Abigail (Mutajally) came third ahead of Dream Of Course (Mutajally). Then followed Kalif Manzor (Almanzor), Silwan (Appel Au Maitre) and Candycrush (Juniper Tree).
Four of the race’s seven runners were making their debut.
Bourbon Blaze is the fourth foal out of the unraced Muhaarar mare Borana, who is a half-sister to the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr.1) winner and sire Robin Of Navan and from the same female line as the four-time Japanese Group 1 winner Lys Gracieux.
He was bought from Ardglas Stables, who also supplied Stall Irish Coffee’s Norwegian 1000 Guineas winner Havannas Dream. Jesper Kask is the driving force behind Stall Irish Coffee, which has previously campaigned Seaside Song and Just Jameson among others.
Arnesen closed the season with a double
Knut O. Arnesen won two of the day’s nine races. First Perfect Panda (Showcasing) took the bronze division over 1100 metres by half a length from his stable companion Fornham St Martin (Zoustar) — a double in the same race — and a head further back came May Or Might (Uppercut Action), who ends the season as Øvrevoll’s winning-most horse with five victories.
In the last race of the day — and of the year — Canmore (No Nay Never) won the silver division over 1100 metres by half a length from Titan Bling (Cotai Glory). Arnesen trains the seven-year-old and owns him together with Lars Arne Larsen. Only four horses came to post, and they were separated by half-lengths all the way, with the nine-year-old Youonlyliveonce (Sidestep) third under the top weight of 70 kilos.
The championship was settled before the day began
The day opened with the amateur race, in which Viktoria Aurora Hughes both saddled and rode Roy Kristoffersen’s Hardanger Ofcourse (Mutajally) to victory by five and a half lengths from Boaz (Deceptor). It was her first win in an amateur race at Øvrevoll this year. The mare’s full sister Dream Of Course was fourth in the two-year-old race — both are bred by Fam. E. Nagell-Erichsen.
The amateur championship, on the other hand, was not in play. Only wins in amateur races count in the Norwegian statistics, and there Sofie Endahl stood on three wins against Karoline Pedersen’s two. Pedersen did in fact win on the day, but in the iron division over 2400 metres, where Arne O Karlsen’s Munch (Caprioli) beat Gold Rush (Crocker Road) by a quarter of a length. Munch is bred by Bollerød Stutteri and is out of a Mutajally mare.
Robertz breeding in four prize lists
Maria Robertz was the day’s most successful breeder with a win and three second places from four horses in the money. The win came in the bronze mile, where the Danish-born Bella Flamel (Economic Model) scored by five lengths for Niels Petersen and Carlos Lopez. The three second places were Boaz, Gold Rush and Masters Romance (Appel Au Maitre).
The closest finish of the day came in the silver division over 1600 metres, where Cathrine Erichsen’s Zofi (Mutajally) under Lorenzo Putzulu beat Sticky Chance (Sporting Chance) by the smallest possible margin. It was Zofi’s fourth win of the year. Mutajally left his mark on the day with two of the nine winners, and he is the damsire of a third as well.
Hanne Rådstoga held all three roles in the iron division over 1100 metres: she bred, owns and trains Stogas Athena (Deceptor), who won by a length and a half under Manuel Martinez. It was Martinez’ second win of the day.
The only visiting success went to Sweden, where Tobias Olofsson’s Anno (Juniper Tree) carried off the bronze stayers’ race over 2400 metres by four lengths from Masters Romance.
Carlos Lopez ends the season as Øvrevoll’s winning-most rider with 28 wins, Niels Petersen as winning-most trainer with 25.
Øvrevoll · The season’s final meeting
The day in numbers
The star of the day
Knut O. Arnesen
Six runners, two wins and five in the money. Perfect Panda and his stable companion Fornham St Martin took both the win and the place money in the Bronsedivisjon, and the last race of the day went to Canmore, whom Arnesen both trains and co-owns with Lars Arne Larsen. No other trainer won more than one of the day’s nine races.
2 of 9of the day’s races
16.5%of the day’s prize money
94,913NOK on the day
Maria Robertz four horses of her breeding in the money — the win with Bella Flamel and three second places with Boaz, Gold Rush and Masters Romance
Trainerstop 8 by prize money won
| 1 | Knut O. Arnesen | 2 wins | NOK 94,913 | |
| 2 | Cathrine Erichsen | 1 win | NOK 93,639 | |
| 3 | Jan-Erik Neuroth | 1 win | NOK 61,425 | |
| 4 | Niels Petersen | 1 win | NOK 44,226 | |
| 5 | Tobias Olofsson | 1 win | NOK 31,850 | |
| 6 | Arne O. Karlsen | 1 win | NOK 31,259 | |
| 7 | Isidro Vergara | 0 wins | NOK 29,006 | |
| 8 | Viktoria Aurora Hughes | 1 win | NOK 27,300 |
Jockeystop 8 by prize money won
| 1 | Manuel Martinez | 2 wins | NOK 80,763 | |
| 2 | Oliver Wilson | 1 win | NOK 73,255 | |
| 3 | Lorenzo Putzulu | 1 win | NOK 68,386 | |
| 4 | Carlos Lopez | 1 win | NOK 64,496 | |
| 5 | Jacob Kvisla | 1 win | NOK 61,971 | |
| 6 | Jacob Johansen | 1 win | NOK 52,325 | |
| 7 | Viktoria Aurora Hughes | 1 win | NOK 27,300 | |
| 8 | Karoline Pedersen | 1 win | NOK 26,163 |
Ownerstop 8 by prize money won
| 1 |  Lars Arne Larsen & Knut O Arnesen | 1 win | NOK 52,325 | |
| 2 |  Stall Irish Coffee På Stället | 1 win | NOK 40,950 | |
| 3 |  Stall Zofi | 1 win | NOK 36,400 | |
| 4 |  Stall Amabel | 1 win | NOK 31,850 | |
| 5 |  Stall Guldkalven AB | 1 win | NOK 31,850 | |
| 6 |  Stall Hollebøl | 1 win | NOK 31,850 | |
| 7 |  Showjumpers Racing Club | 1 win | NOK 31,259 | |
| 8 |  Roy Kristoffersen | 1 win | NOK 27,300 |
Sirestop 8 by prize money won
| 1 | Mutajally (GB) | 2 wins | NOK 85,176 | |
| 2 | Victor Ludorum (GB) | 1 win | NOK 40,950 | |
| 3 | Deceptor (USA) | 1 win | NOK 39,813 | |
| 4 | No Nay Never (USA) | 1 win | NOK 36,400 | |
| 5 | Appel Au Maitre (FR) | 0 wins | NOK 36,400 | |
| 6 | Juniper Tree (IRE) | 1 win | NOK 35,035 | |
| 7 | Economic Model (USA) | 1 win | NOK 31,850 | |
| 8 | Showcasing (GB) | 1 win | NOK 31,850 |
Breederstop 8 by prize money won
| 1 | Maria Robertz | 1 win | NOK 74,506 | |
| 2 | Mme S. Dupray | 1 win | NOK 40,950 | |
| 3 | Epona Bloodstock Ltd | 1 win | NOK 36,400 | |
| 4 | Gulbrand Gjestvang | 1 win | NOK 36,400 | |
| 5 | The E. Nagell-Erichsen family | 1 win | NOK 33,852 | |
| 6 | A Sandberg,M Pökelmann,T Nilsson | 1 win | NOK 31,850 | |
| 7 | Mildmay Bloodst. & Tentplanner ltd | 1 win | NOK 31,850 | |
| 8 | Bollerød Stutteri | 1 win | NOK 31,259 |
Trained in
| 1 | Norway57 runners | 7 wins | NOK 480,321 | |
| 2 | Sweden7 runners | 1 win | NOK 58,945 |
Foaled in
| 1 | Norway24 runners | 3 wins | NOK 196,697 | |
| 2 | Sweden11 runners | 1 win | NOK 85,358 | |
| 3 | Ireland12 runners | 1 win | NOK 80,808 | |
| 4 | Great Britain8 runners | 1 win | NOK 63,609 | |
| 5 | Denmark6 runners | 1 win | NOK 59,468 | |
| 6 | France2 runners | 1 win | NOK 49,686 | |
| 7 | USA1 runners | 0 wins | NOK 3,640 |
Every prize-money placing in each of the nine races counts — not just the winners. The whole card was run on the dirt track, and the going was good. Six horses were withdrawn, so 64 of the 70 declared came to post. Eight of the races paid five prizes; the last race of the day had only four runners after Mrs Dowley and Corazon De Leon were withdrawn, so four were paid there. Spinaround was ridden by Lorenzo Putzulu and not by Carlos Lopez as the racecard had it.
Top 8 per category by prize money won. Country of foaling by the country code in the result list (no code = Norway).
GalopSport.dkSource: Norsk Galopp’s result list and Øvrevoll’s racecard
