Only two runners lined up for Thursday’s opening race at Øvrevoll, and one of them was left with little to enjoy. Niels Petersen-trained Ice And Fire got off the mark at the first time of asking and now looks set to go on to Norsk Kriterium on Norwegian Derby day on 23 August.
Ice And Fire (Oasis Dream) and Carlos Lopez pulled nine lengths clear of Jan-Erik Neuroth-trained Bourbon Blaze (Victor Ludorum) over the 900 metres on turf, and the first prize of NOK 15,000 went to Stald Chasing Dreams.
Ice And Fire is the first foal out of Margrethe (Juniper Tree), who took the Sceptre Stakes in 2021 for Jakob Dalhoff’s Lokalebasen.dk. Margrethe now has her broodmare base at York Stutteri, where her daughter was born and raised.
“I gave Ice And Fire to my better half, Maria, as a wedding present – hence the name Stald Chasing Dreams. I kept five per cent of Ice And Fire myself, so that she could run in Lokalebasen.dk’s racing colours”, Jakob Dalhoff tells GalopSport.
Norsk Kriterium has been brought forward to Derby day in 2026, and the contest over 1370 metres on turf and worth NOK 350,000 is now the big two-year-old race of the day. Both Ice And Fire and Bourbon Blaze hold entries.
And Ice And Fire was not the only York-born winner on the evening’s card.
Lettfeti (Study Of Man) took the Bronsedivisjon Mile over 1600 metres on dirt by just under five lengths from Spirit Of Cimarron (Charm Spirit), with a further nine lengths and a bit back to Heart Of Kabeir (El Kabeir).
Elione Chaves partnered the four-year-old gelding for Cathrine Erichsen and Stall Birgitta to a first prize of NOK 31,850.
Lettfeti was bred by Breeding And Racing I/S, who bought his dam, the Listed winner Seaside Song (Harbour Watch), at the Tattersalls July Sale for 25,000 guineas – carrying the very Study Of Man foal who was later sold for DKK 520,000 as a yearling at the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sale at York Stutteri and named Lettfeti.
Seaside Song took the Lanwades Stud Stakes (L) in her day for Lars Kelp, and she ended her career with Cathrine Erichsen, winning the Fam. E. Nagell-Erichsens Hoppeløp two years running at Øvrevoll.
Carlos Lopez completed a double on the night, having also won the Bronsedivisjon Sprint over 900 metres on Hallvard Soma’s Ar Diddy Dum Dum (Ardad), who saw off Dream Desk (Dream Ahead) by just under two lengths. The three-year-old filly runs for Soltun Racing AS.
The evening’s maiden over the same trip went to Stall Hollebøl’s Perfect Panda (Showcasing), who beat Buffon (Mutajally) by four and a half lengths – a horse trainer Knut O. Arnesen owns himself. Jacob Johansen was in the saddle on the winner.
Evelina Rönnlund and Nathalie Mortensen’s Terrible (Territories) ran her rivals ragged under just 52 kilos in the Grunndivisjon Mile, the three-year-old filly scoring by six lengths for Sweden’s Annette Stjernstrand.
Tobias Hellgren and Anna Pilroth brought home the Bronsedivisjon Stayer over 2400 metres with Waleed Zawawi’s Appel Ride (Appel Au Maitre), who came home just over a length in front of Rocks Giant (Giant Sandman).
The evening closed with Arne O. Karlsen-trained Munch (Caprioli) scoring in the Jerndivisjon over the same 2400 metres by a length from Robbie Brown (Mutajally). The three-year-old gelding was bred by Bollerød Stutteri, runs for Showjumpers Racing Club and was ridden by Elin Hedman.
