by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

The 29-year-old French horseman Eric Raffin had a great weekend.

On Saturday afternoon (September 17) he won the Aby Grand Prix and finished second in the European Champion for 5-year-old trotters. On Sunday afternoon (September 18) he won the classic under-saddle race, Prix de Normandie, and an ordinary trotting race at Vincennes in Paris, France.

The Prix de Normandie had a total purse of $330,000 and is for 5-year-old trotters. The distance was 1-7/8th miles.

Scipion du Goutier with Franck Nivard in the saddle was the heavy favorite, but was far from his best and finished a distant fourth. Instead stablemate Save The Quick, with Eric Raffin in the saddle, won very easily in 1:59 (mile rate). This was Raffin’s 152nd win this year and he has won more than $7.8 million so far.

In the other classic race of the day, the Prix de l’Etoile over the 1-5/16th mile distance, Raffin was behind the 4-5 favorite Uncaring, but the 3-year-old trotter went off stride and was disqualified and placed last.

That race, which also carried a purse of $330,000, was won very handily by 28-1 shot Union d’Urzy with Jos. Verbeeck in the bike in 1:57 (mile rate).

In Norway, the top Swedish driver Björn Goop was in focus as he won the Norwegian Trotting Derby for 4-year-olds with the heavy favorite Muscles Wiking B.R. as well as the Norwegian Trotting Kriterium Filly division with Angelina B.R.

Muscles Wiking B.R., who is sired by Muscles Yankee, picked up the winner’s share of $135,000 and now has earnings of more than $640,000.

Muscles Wiking B.R. and Angelina B.R. (she’s sired by Angus Hall) were bred by Björn Rishaug. Muscles Wiking B.R. will race next time at Solvalla in an elimination for the European Trotting Derby, the UET Grand Prix.