Lea Olsen had her artillery in perfect order, and with further help from Italian Lorenzo Putzulu the Aarhus trainer landed a ‘fourtimer’ on the biggest race day of the year in Aalborg. Giovanni Torkdahl triumphed in the main event after leading all the way.
The 4-year-old Giovanni Torkdahl (Lope De Vega), who as a 2-year-old won the Skånelandlöpning at Jägersro and last year was second in the Jydsk Derby behind stable companion Biot (City Light), had no trouble justifying his handicap mark of 80 over the 1800 metres on turf.
At more than eight times his money on the tote he won comfortably by three-quarters of a length from Stine Schäfing’s consistent Pinerolo (Pistachio), while the winner’s stable companion Cortina (Appel Au Maitre) was third ahead of Mufid (Lope De Vega) and the 3-year-old Dr T H G (Sottsass).
Victory in the Racing Arena Aalborg Champion Stakes was worth DKK 60,000 to Funen-based Ole Torkdahl, who here saw his horse win for the fourth time in 18 starts.
It was also Ole Torkdahl who, together with Lea Olsen and Lorenzo Putzulu, had earlier opened Champion Stakes day in Aalborg with victory for the 3-year-old Dalila Torkdahl (Al Shemali).
Dalila Torkdahl won Aalborg Galopforenings Ærespræmie, a maiden race over 1800 metres, by five superior lengths from Balalaika (Giant Sandman) and Executive (Efesos).
Here the DKK 13,000 first prize went to Torkdahl. The winner was bred at Stutteri Stork.
Lea Olsen and Lorenzo Putzulu came close to winning the day’s second race as well, Dansk Galops Ærespræmie over 1500 metres, but after leading for most of the home straight Shining Al Danagh (Iffraaj) was finally caught by the Veronika Jandová-trained Dane Force (Land Force) with Valmir de Azeredo in the irons.
The 3-year-old Dane Force won by a neck from his older rival and earned DKK 17,000 in first prize money for Lulu Tøpholm.
Lea Olsen and Lorenzo Putzulu were all over the following three contests, of which the aforementioned Champion Stakes was the climax.
First the well-made Spot On (Moohaajim) won the first of the day’s qualifying divisions of the Spar Nord Arena Aalborg Serien over 2000 metres.
Spot On won after a battle by a head from Ann-Charlotte Wedsgaard’s Cloudy Sky (Cloth Of Stars) and the Torben Christensen-trained Napoleon (Al Shemali), which gave a first prize of DKK 17,000 to the Ejler family.
Spot On was bred at Stutteri Hjortebo and is among other things a half-sister to the Classic winners Brunello (Appel Au Maitre) and Steinway (Appel Au Maitre), and to Good Fortune’s dam Eko Palace Bay (Siyouni).
Lea Olsen and Lorenzo Putzulu likewise put their stamp on Elkær Stutteri Fuldblodsfonds Ærespræmie over 2000 metres, where the DKK 30,000 first prize went to SVD A/S’ 4-year-old Giant Sandman-daughter Fallen Angel.
Fallen Angel, who only shed her maiden tag earlier this summer, has really got the hang of the job now, and she won comfortably by just under two lengths from Alli Cat (Kahyl) and Waterlily (Wilshire Boulevard).
Fallen Angel, like Spot On, was bred at Stutteri Hjortebo, and she is both a full sister to this year’s Swedish 2000 Guineas winner No Surrender and a half-sister to the Jydsk Derby winner King Ferdinand (Elusive City).
In Land Og Fritid Vrå Ærespræmie over 1800 metres Jytte Løgtved celebrated a family triumph, as the stable’s two runners Freddie’s Fortune (Giant Sandman) and Sir Christian (Binary File) filled first and second place.
Freddie’s Fortune was ridden to victory by Diego Armando Figueroa, while Melissa Vesterholm was in the irons on Sir Christian.
Third place went to Keld Chr. Karlsen’s Hampton Roads (Appel Au Maitre), which meant not only a third breeder’s win in a row for Stutteri Hjortebo, but also the first three horses past the post in the contest.
Champion Stakes day closed with another local victory, as Keld Chr. Karlsen’s 9-year-old Stratego (Go Go Gadget) took a qualifying division of the Spar Nord Arena Aalborg Serien by a length and a half from Lea Olsen’s Sir Antonelli (Most Improved) and Kaj Sørensen’s Speedgirl (Go Go Gadget).
Stratego secured the seventh win of her career, and at the same time she passed a quarter of a million in total earnings.
Rafael de Oliveira was in the irons on Saturday’s last winner in Aalborg, and Stratego was bred by Stutteri Thorskovgaard.
