At the beginning of March this year Stutteri Thorskovgaard’s Norwegian Derby winner Go Go Gadget died. So sadly Go Go Gadget will not get to experience the success his offspring are having this year. In GalopSport’s recently updated ranking for the Danish Derby 2025, Go Go Gadget is the sire of three of the 12 horses that are currently certain to be qualified to run in the Derby.
THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING.
The Jydsk Derby has been run. The Derby Trial Stakes has been run, and so now has the Svenskt Derby. Up to 2 August, when the Bet25 Danish Derby is in the calendar, the discussions in the Scandinavian racing world will increasingly be about who can win the Danish Derby 2025.
Which trainers have the strongest hand? Which breeders have the strongest hand? Which sires of the Derby candidates have the strongest hand? And so on. It is above all the last of these that this article focuses on.
APPEL AU MAITRE AND GO GO GADGET ARE THE SIRES OF HALF THE HORSES CURRENTLY QUALIFIED FOR THE DANISH DERBY 2025.
Stall Perlen’s Appel Au Maitre stands at Stutteri Hjortebo, who as a breeder have won the Danish Derby four times in the last 10 years.
Suspicious Mind (Appel Au Maitre) won in 2016, Sir Herman (Zoffany) in 2017, Queen Rouge (Lord Of England) in 2019 and Brigadier (Moohaajim) last year.
And Appel Au Maitre is already the sire of two of the last ten years’ Danish Derby winners. Besides Suspicious Mind, Titannia, who won in 2022.
For the sake of good order it should be mentioned that Appel Au Maitre is also the sire of last year’s winner of the Svenskt and Norsk Derby, Schamyl.
This year three of the horses currently certain to be qualified to run in the Danish Derby are by Appel Au Maitre.
In the Danish Derby 2022 Appel Au Maitre was the sire of three of the first four home.
This year’s three highest ranked candidates are the Swedish Criterium winner Sir Diamond, the winner of the Swedish Derby Consolation, Theonello, and the winner of the Svenskt 1000 Guineas, Zarina.
Sir Diamond was most recently fifth in the Svenskt Derby. And when Suspicious Mind won the Danish Derby commandingly in 2016, he came precisely from fifth place in the Svenskt Derby – and the year before he had won the Svenskt Kriterium!
When Master Bloom (Pastorius) won the Danish Derby in 2018 he came from a win in the Svenskt Derby Consolation, just as Theonello does now.
And Zarina is owned by Karin Salling, who has won the Danish Derby three times before. In 2010 with Sir Henry (Academy Award). In 2017 with Sir Herman (Zoffany). And in 2019 with Queen Rouge (Lord Of England).
Queen Rouge came – just like Zarina – with a win in the Svenskt 1000 Guineas at Bro Park in her luggage.
WILL GO GO GADGET GET A DANISH DERBY WINNER THIS YEAR?
It can come as no surprise to anyone that Appel Au Maitre once again looks like being strongly represented as a sire in the Danish Derby.
But few would have expected to see Go Go Gadget as the sire of three of the horses that, according to GalopSport’s ranking list for the Danish Derby 2025, are certain runners if they want to line up.
Twice offspring of Go Go Gadget (Aerion) have won the Jydsk Derby. In 2020 Speedman won and the year after Smooth N Royal.
This year a third win was close, when the Go Go Gadget son Go Go Flame was second, beaten only by Acapulco Sunrise (Almanzor), but ahead of the two Swedish Guineas winners No Surrender (Giant Sandman) and Zarina (Appel Au Maitre).
On the other hand it has never become a win for an offspring of Go Go Gadget in the Danish Derby. But this year the chance is there with Grab The Moment, Go Go Flame and Wiggle Wine, who all have 80 or more in the handicap.
The first two in particular attract interest, as question marks are being put against whether the two ahead of them on the ranking list for the Danish Derby, No Surrender and Wassim (Zarak), stay the Derby trip.
No Surrender is a half-brother to King Ferdinand, (Elusive City) who won the Jydsk Derby, but who is generally happiest over the shorter distances.
And Giant Sandman, who is the sire of No Surrender, was a top sprinter. He has, however, in Careless Whisper produced an offspring who beat some of the best fillies and mares in Scandinavia over the Derby trip.
Whether Wassim (Zarak) stays the Derby trip is also doubtful. But when Sir Herman, who like Wassim was owned by Karin Salling and bred at Stutteri Hjortebo, won the Danish Derby in 2017, his stamina was doubted too. But Sir Herman stayed the trip on Derby day.
GRAB THE MOMENT HAS A STRONG CASE.
Grab The Moment looks to be a stayer, and his pedigree suggests the same.
Grab The Moment is owned by Stall Trick Or Treat, who also owned Go Go Gadget (Areion) when he won the Norsk Derby in 2010. That was with Eddie Ahern on board, and the colt became the first Derby winner Niels Petersen saddled.
Grab The Moment’s dam too, the Xaar mare Tatoosh, was in training with Niels Petersen throughout her racing career.
Tatoosh is now based at York Stutteri, where Grab The Moment was born and raised under the ownership of the Norwegian Tanja Ravn Myhre.
In Niels Petersen’s training Tatoosh won the Mowerinaløb and the Pompøs Cup at Klampenborg as a 3-year-old.
She subsequently developed steadily with the years and had her best season as a 7-year-old, when she struck in the Bloomers’ Vase (L) at Täby, the Lanwades Stud Fillies Stakes (L) at Øvrevoll and the Fawzia Stakes at Klampenborg.
After a commanding win on his debut earlier this year at Bro Park, Grab The Moment was a fine third in the Svenskt 2000 Guineas at Bro Park, beaten by No Surrender (Giant Sandman) and Wassim (Zarak).
And nothing on that occasion suggested that Grab The Moment could not go further – on the contrary.
Most recently Grab The Moment was second in Jockeyklubbens Grand Prix over 2100 metres at Bro Park, beaten by Karla With A K (Swipe).
That race may prove a good guide to the Danish Derby, as Grab The Moment may again meet several of the horses he beat on that occasion in the Derby.
Sir Diamond, Theonello, Glendevon (Gleneagles), Firstof All (Juniper Tree) and Wiggle Wine. It should be noted, however, that they all finished relatively close (within a good five lengths) to Grab The Moment.
Niels Petersen has won the Danish Derby every other time over the last four years. Most recently with Slava Ukraini (Moohaajim) in 2023!
Stall Trick Or Treat have won the Danish Derby twice. In 2005 with Mission Possible (Groom Dancer) and in 2013 with Quite A Mission (Eishin Dunkirk).
THE GREY GO GO FLAME HAS IMPRESSED.
Go Go Flame is owned by Arslev Racing and bred by Falkonertjenesten.
He is in training with Rikke Rohbach Bonde.
He is the first foal out of the lightning-fast sprinter Persona (Kendargent), who reached a maximum handicap of 78 and won four times in her racing career, among them two super-sprint contests over 650 metres at Klampenborg.
Go Go Flame did not make his debut until he was a 3-year-old, with second place behind No Surrender, but ahead of Acapulco Sunrise.
Nobody imagined at that point that the same three horses (albeit in the opposite order) would a good two months later be first, second and third in the Jydsk Derby.
Later Go Go Flame was fourth in the Danish 2000 Guineas and shed his maiden tag easily at Klampenborg, before he lined up in the Jydsk Derby as fourth favourite.
Acapulco Sunrise could not be beaten by Go Go Flame, but after a strong finish it became second place ahead of the two Guineas winners No Surrender and Zarina.
Go Go Flame is grey like his dam Persona, and it will be interesting to see whether he stays the trip like his sire Go Go Gadget.
WIGGLE WINE BECAME GO GO GADGET’S FIRST CLASSIC WINNER.
Wiggle Wine was bred by Stutteri Thorskovgaard (Lone and Bo Hansen), who also own her. She is in training with Lea Olsen in Aarhus.
She is the first foal out of the well-bred Mayphie’s Girl (Olympic Glory), who ran only once as a 3-year-old.
As a 2-year-old Wiggle Wine was third in both Dansk Galop Auktionsløb and the Vinterfavoritternes Ærespræmie.
Wiggle Wine and Sandro De Paiva win the Mowerinaløb ahead of First, Sov Gott, Sisi and Firstof All. Photo: Burt Seeger.
She won the Mowerinaløb on her second start this year, shedding her maiden tag at the same time.
There has been only one start since then, in Jockeyklubbens Grand Prix at Bro Park, where she finished 10th, beaten eight lengths by Karla With A K.
The win in the Mowerinaløb was Go Go Gadget‘s and Thorskovgaard Racing’s first classic winner. The Danish Derby may perhaps be the next.
GO GO GADGET HAS HAD SUCCESS AS A STALLION DESPITE SMALL CROPS.
As a racehorse Go Go Gadget (Aerion) ran only five times, all of them as a 3-year-old. He won four of the five starts. The win in the Norsk Derby was his last race.
Stutteri Thorskovgaard leased Go Go Gadget for a number of years, but they bought him in 2021.
Despite small crops Go Go Gadget has had considerable success as a stallion.
Besides the two winners of the Jydsk Derby, Speedman and Smooth N Royal, and the three Derby candidates mentioned, Go Go Gadget is the sire of three offspring that have reached a handicap of 80 or more.
Forever Young, Go Go Dancer and Itoldyouso.
Go Go Gadget did not get to cover any mares in 2025, but he covered 14 last year. Among them the dam of Wiggle Wine, Mayphie’s Girl.
ONLY A FEW DERBY CANDIDATES ARE BY FOREIGN STALLIONS.
Nothing is certain in this world. And least of all when it comes to racing.
But right now Appel Au Maitre and Go Go Gadget look to have reasonable chances of being the sire of the winner of the Danish Derby 2025.
But other stallions can of course take the honours too.
Four times in the last 10 years the Danish Derby has been won by horses by sires based outside Scandinavia.
Sir Herman (Zoffany) in 2017, Master Bloom (Pastorius) in 2018, Queen Rouge (Lord Of England) in 2019 and Ready Teddy (Maxios) in 2020.
Of the 12 horses currently certain to be qualified to run in the Danish Derby 2025, only one is by a foreign stallion: Wassim (Zarak).
The Svenskt Derby was won by the Juniper Tree son Celtic Lullaby.
Juniper Tree (Galileo) gets the chance in the Danish Derby this year to be the sire of another Derby winner with The JC Organization’s Firstof All, who like Grab The Moment was raised at York Stutteri.
Moohaajim (Cape Cross) is the sire of the winner of the Danish Derby for the last two years. Slava Ukraini and Brigadier.
This year none of the horses certain to be qualified for the Danish Derby are by Moohaajim, but the Mowerina runner-up and winner of the Petit Prix at Jydsk Væddeløbsbane, First, who has a handicap of 77, may possibly get the chance to take part.
