Saturday’s ’Irish Day at the Races’ at Klampenborg was marked by the trials, as no fewer than three big-race trials were run. Kim Andersen really made his mark with wins in both The Shamrock Inn 1000 Guineas Trial and Tourism Ireland 2000 Guineas Trial, and the jockey also won the 1st leg of Træner- og HesteEjerForeningens Grand Prix Serie.
The well-bred 3-year-old filly Lady Clementine has never been placed worse than third, and after standing in the shadow of her stable companion La Sall for most of the 2-year-old season she took her revenge by winning Vinterfavoritternes Ærespræmie and being third in Svenskt Kriterium.
There had of course been great anticipation for Lady Clementine’s seasonal debut in The Shamrock Inn 1000 Guineas Trial over 1500 metres, and the small Richard Of York daughter also gave proof that, even though she has hardly developed over the winter, she is still good enough to be right at the front among the fillies of her crop.
With Kim Andersen in the irons Lady Clementine won comfortably by a length ahead of her stable companion Matchmaker/Nicholas Cordrey, who in turn had half a length to Dollar Dance/Lennart Hammer.
Then followed the Swedish Wakina, who was very unlucky along the way and among other things lost two front shoes.
The winning Lady Clementine is now ready for Mowerinaløb on 20 May, and after the splendid seasonal debut she will surely be many people’s favourite for the race, which her dam All Right won herself back in 1997.
Ihla Grande impressed
In Tourism Ireland 2000 Guineas Trial Are Hyldmo gave a seasonal debut to one of last year’s best Norwegian 2-year-olds, the Distant View son Ihla Grande, who took on Chess Racing’s promising gelding Sibelius.
The race also developed into a duel between these two horses, who all along had a clear advantage over the other four runners in the race.
Into the home straight it looked as though it could go either way for the two in front, but unlike Sibelius, Ihla Grande knew the direct way to the finishing line and, in the hands of Kim Andersen, could win convincingly by two lengths ahead of the still inexperienced Sibelius, who in turn had many lengths back to Claymore in third place.
Ihla Grande has no engagement in Dansk 2000 Guineas and, according to trainer Are Hyldmo, now goes towards Täby’s Classic Jockeyklubbens Jubileumslöpning.
Sibelius, on the other hand, is to run in Dansk 2000 Guineas, and with a little more experience in the bag the Night Shift son looks a really good bet for victory there.
First Edition in a class of his own!
In the Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Breeders Cup Trial over 1800 metres, last year’s double Breeders winner First Edition was on his first visit to Klampenborg, and the Songline son solved this task to perfection under his regular partner Yvonne Durant.
First Edition was taken very quietly from the start, whereas Jacob Johansen set a hard pace in the race with Doo Bop.
Round the last part of the home turn First Edition got a better hold of those in front, the seasonal debutant Singita looked strong on the outside of the track for Kim Andersen, while Jolly Boy looked an obvious winning chance in the middle of the track.
When the field hit the home straight Yvonne Durant then gave First Edition the order to go, and he shot up on the inside of Jolly Boy and Singita and settled the race by half a length.
Considering that it was First Edition’s first visit to Klampenborg the performance was very strong, and one can only expect the horse to be further improved when he chases victory in Ernst & Young Dansk Breeders Cup.
Jolly Boy and Singita, who filled the next places, certainly do not look beaten beforehand either, and it is not at all unthinkable that it will be precisely these three horses that fight out the win on 30 May.
First win for Lars Kelp
After a number of years outside Denmark’s borders, Lars Kelp is back as a trainer at Klampenborg, and this Saturday he saddled his first winner in the shape of the 7-year-old Alfailak, who swept to the top in the first leg of Træner- og HesteEjerForeningens Grand Prix Serie over 1600 metres.
Alfailak got a restrained trip from Kim Andersen, who wisely found a way through on the inside in the home straight and with 200 metres to go got just enough speed into his horse to beat the outside challenger Red Ember into second place, while Kaktus was third and Afrodite secured the last place carrying a right to start in the Grand Prix Serie final.
Alfailak is owned by Provinsejendomme 2003 A/S, who here got their first winner in racing.
Tofastforyou surprised
The Göran Sjölin-trained Tofastforyou has a habit of delivering big surprises, and the double Fyensløb winner delivered another of the kind in The Irish Festival Handicap over 2200 metres.
As predicted beforehand the horses were really well matched and the finish was a very close affair between the two in front and then among the next five runners.
The only horse that could really threaten Tofastforyou was Calistoga, who fought bravely all the way to the finishing line but in the end had to be beaten.
Sara Slot was in the saddle on Tofastforyou, who got 20,000 kroner for the win. Ganagun/Yvonne Durant took third place ahead of Cut Champion/Manuel Santos and Mufasa/Mark Larsen.
Fine maiden winners
The day’s first race for the 3-year-old maidens, Danish Irish Society 3-års Maidenløb over 1400 metres, finally brought release for the Bent Olsen-trained Thai Express, who under Cathrine Weilby fought down Wind Ibson/Lennart Hammer by half a length.
The Stald Hong Kong-owned Thai Express was, after her second place behind Matchmaker on her seasonal debut, the punters’ clear favourite, but she did have to fight hard before the first win of her career was in the bag.
Dress Maker finished in second place, while the second favourite Bell Ambra was not much helped by wearing blinkers for the first time.
Kennedy’s Bar & Irish Image Maidenløb over 1800 metres had Athene as the clear favourite, but the mare had to suffer a highly surprising defeat by the well-prepared Kinky Spot/Nicholas Cordrey, who comes from Hanne Bechmann’s in-form stable.
Kinky Spot beat Athene by a length, while there were as many as six lengths back to Juliane in third place. What is worth noting in this race is that the winning Kinky Spot ran only five tenths slower than First Edition, and that both Kinky Spot and Athene in fact ran a faster time than Singita, who filled third place in the Breeders Cup Trial – against that background both Kinky Spot and Athene should be really interesting to follow in future.
Improved Over The Rainbow
Just as the week before, the duo Ole Larsen/Louise Møller struck this afternoon.
Thus the Noel Murless 3-års Handicap over 1600 metres resulted in a win for Over The Rainbow, who somewhat surprisingly could beat Sinatra, who otherwise had six kilos in hand.
It was Over The Rainbow’s first start this year, and there are signs that the horse is not at all finished with winning races.
The day’s last contest was reserved for the Arabian horses, and here the win went to the Ingrid Kindh-trained Black Jack, who under Peter Jarven, after an exciting battle up the straight, fought down Go Kossack/Nicholas Cordrey by a short head, after which there were many lengths back to Chiiki/Sara Slot in third place.
