All three Scandinavian Derbys have now been run, and attention is therefore turning increasingly to the 2-year-olds. On Saturday the Danish Criterium is run at Klampenborg, one of the season’s biggest 2-year-old races. RaceTime has gone back into the history books to look at who has won the Criterium over the last 25 years, and how they have fared since. Søren Jensen is the ”Criterium king” with 11 Criterium wins in the last 25 years – and 19 wins in all since 1979.
NO CRITERIUM WINNER HAS WON THE DANISH DERBY IN THE LAST 25 YEARS.
The list of winners of the Danish Criterium over the last 25 years is full of well-known names, and many of them did extremely well later in their careers.
But it is notable that none of the last 25 years’ winners has subsequently won the Danish Derby, the Danish Oaks or the Danish St. Leger.
Three Criterium winners have won the Jydsk Derby. King David (2017), King Ferdinand (2022) and Biot 2023.
And some Criterium winners have been close to a Derby win the following year.
Falconet, who was third in 2012 after a very unlucky race. Harbour Light, who was third the year after, and King David, who as mentioned was second in 2017.
SEVEN CRITERIUM WINNERS HAVE BECOME GUINEAS WINNERS THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
While Criterium winners find it hard to win classic races over the longer distances, the chances of a win in one of the Guineas races are on the other hand quite good.
Twice a Criterium winner has won the Danish 1000 Guineas (the Mowerinaløb) the following year. Princess Royal (2000) and Amalia (2002).
And on as many as five occasions a Criterium winner has won the Danish 2000 Guineas the following year.
Icaros (2005), Falconet (2012), Harbour Light (2013), Sømkongen Carlras (2016) and My Jamil (2020).
Several Danish Criterium winners have at the same time followed up the next year with wins in the Guineas races in Sweden and Norway.
”THE CRITERIUM KING” SØREN JENSEN.
Trainers who have won the Danish Criterium twice or more in the last 25 years:
- Søren Jensen 11 times (2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013,2015, 2016, 2019).
- Bent Olsen three times (2008,2012, 2024).
- Wido Neuroth twice (2004,2005).
- Lea Olsen twice (2022, 2023).
Søren Jensen’s Criterium record is quite exceptional, for besides the 11 wins since 2000, he also won the biggest contest for 2-year-olds five times through the 1990s.
In all Søren Jensen is to date credited with 19 wins in the Danish Criterium since he took his first with the wonder mare Pompøs (Belmont) in 1979 – a record that will hardly ever be surpassed.
The relatively newly established Lea Olsen has already won the Danish Criterium twice, with King Ferdinand and Biot respectively.
And female trainers have won four of the last five editions of the Danish Criterium.
ACADEMY AWARD WAS THE SIRE OF SEVEN CRITERIUM WINNERS.
One of the best stallions of recent times based in Scandinavia was Academy Award (Danehill).
Academy Award was owned jointly by Stutteri Hjortebo and York Stutteri, who are still the two dominant studs in Danish thoroughbred breeding.
Academy Award was the sire of the winners of the Danish Criterium in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Richard Of York (Rainbow Quest) has had three winners of the Danish Criterium, and Elusive City (Elusive Quality) and Juniper Tree (Galileo) two each.
STALD SEASIDE HAVE WON THE DANISH CRITERIUM FOUR TIMES.
Owners who have won the Danish Criterium twice or more in the last 25 years.
- Stald Seaside four times: 2011 (Silvertown), 2013 (Harbour Light), 2015 (Beaufort Twelve), 2019 (Admirality Law).
- Lone Kaj-Nielsen twice: 2008 (Reventon), 2012 (Falconet).
- Stald Chili twice: 2009 (Uhadada), 2010 (Halløjsa).
- Mme Fernande twice: 2017 (King David), 2023 (King Ferdinand).
Behind the name Stald Seaside were the partnership of Peter Rasmussen and Michael Steen Jakobsen, whose horses today run under the name Jakobsen og Rasmussen I/S.
Silvertown, Harbour Light and Beaufort Twelve are all out of Lady Clementine, and Admirality Law is out of Silvertown.
They were, like many other Criterium winners, all raised at Stutteri Hjortebo, and it should also be added that Lady Clementine’s own dam, the Stutteri Elverdam-bred All Right (Always Fair), herself won the Danish Criterium for trainer Desmond Scarlett in 1996.
In all, five of the last 15 seasons’ Danish Criterium winners have direct ties to All Right.
NICOLAJ STOTT IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL JOCKEY.
Jockeys who have won the Danish Criterium twice or more in the last 25 years.
- Nicolaj Stott: 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016
- Kim Andersen: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2010
- Jacob Johansen: 2012, 2020, 2023
- Fredrik Johansson: 2004, 2005
- Oliver Wilson: 2017, 2022
Nicolaj Stott won in 2008 with Reventon. In 2009 with Uhadada and three years in a row in 2014 with China Sencha, in 2015 with Beaufort Twelve and in 2016 with Sømkongen Carlras.
SO WHO WINS THE DANISH CRITERIUM 2025?
Can the historical review of the Danish Criterium over the last 25 years be used to find the winner of the Danish Criterium 2025? Perhaps.
The most striking candidate in that context is Taifuu (Japan).
- She is in training with Søren Jensen, who has won the Danish Criterium 11 times in the last 25 years.
- Her owners have won the Danish Criterium four times before.
- She was bred at Stutteri Hjortebo, who have bred 12 of the last 25 years’ Criterium winners.
- Taifuu is out of Beaufort Twelve, who won the Danish Criterium herself.
Søren Jensen also has another candidate. The very well-bred, unbeaten Cosmopolitan, who will probably be favourite for the Danish Criterium.
Stald Shaker’s Cosmopolitan is by Make Believe, who is also the sire of the Saudi Cup winner Mishriff, who earned more than 100 million kroner in his career, and out of Amorine (Montjeu).
Cosmopolitan is ridden in the Danish Criterium by Oliver Wilson, who has already won the Danish Criterium twice.
As mentioned earlier, female trainers have won the Danish Criterium four times in the last five years. This year seven of the 12 runners are trained by female trainers.
Lea Olsen and Sandie Kjær each run two horses, while Tina Mortensen, Nathalie Johnsson and Kajsa Lindsjö each run one.
Tina Mortensen’s Red Moondancer (Appel au Maitre) is a winner at Jydsk Væddeløbsbane on her latest start, but the greatest interest among the horses trained by female trainers probably attaches to the Lea Olsen-trained Albarella, who shed her maiden tag in fine style on Derby day.
She gets Elione Chaves, who won the Danish Criterium in 2013 with Harbour Light, in the saddle.
The most dangerous rival for all of them will be Flemming Velin’s Gleneagles son Daylight, who won by nine lengths in runaway style on his first and so far only start.
Daylight was bought for 520,000 kroner at the Scandinavian Open Yearling Sale last year, and he is ridden in the Danish Criterium by Per-Anders Gråberg, who already has two wins in the Danish Criterium to his name.
