by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Support Justice, with trainer-driver Geir Vegard Gundersen, won the prestigious European Championship for 5-year-old trotters with a total purse of $190,000, raced Sunday afternoon (Sept. 28) at Vincennes.

Gerard Forni photo

Support Justice, with trainer-driver Geir Vegard Gundersen, won the prestigious European Championship.

Gundersen headed his trotter to the front as the gate left the field and was in command the whole trip. Support Justice won the 1- 5/16th mile event in 1:55.1 (mile rate), followed by El Mago Pellini of Sweden and Village Mystic of France.

Support Justice, who recently won the Jubilee Trophy at Solvalla, is sired by Kadabra and out of a Lindy Lane mare. Last year he won the Norwegian Trotting Derby and this spring he was second in the Oslo Grand Prix.

Support Justice and his trainer are based in Norway and their trip to Paris was monitored closely by several Norwegian newspapers and trade magazines.

In Sweden the biggest race for 3-year-old trotters was held at Solvalla, the Svenskt Trav Kriterium raced over 1-5/8th miles and with a purse for the winner of $275,000.

Al Dente — a colt sired by Hambletonian winner Scarlet Knight — was the 4/10 favorite, as he had won 13 from 14 races this year.

Al Dente, with Ôrjan Kihlström in the bike, took command, but faded down the stretch and finished last. The 31-1 shot Je t’Taime Express (sired by Symphonic Hanover) came from behind to win with Johan Untersteiner in the bike in 1:59f (mile rate).

In the Oaks, Kihlström was also behind the favorite, Souchong sired by Going Kronos, but Souchong went off stride and was disqualified and placed last. Instead Peter G. Norman, who opened his own stable back in January, would win driving Face’Em, sired by French trotter Offshore Dream. The purse for the winner was $195,000.