For the third year in a row, a horse trained by Alessandro Gocciadoro won Italy’s biggest race for 3-year-old trotters, the Derby Italiano del Trotto (1-5/16 miles), with a total purse of €800,800 at the La Capanelle track outside Rome.
Once again, it was a Gocciadoro-trained horse driven by a guest driver who triumphed.
Gabrioz, a colt sired by Maharajah, with top Swedish driver Örjan Kihlström in the sulky, enjoyed a pocket trip behind the leading favorite, Ginostrabliggi with Gabriele Gelormini, and found room to attack 100 yards from the finish.
Gabrioz finished strongly and just caught Ginostrabliggi at the wire to win in 1:56.3f (mile rate). The winner’s purse was €334,800. Gabrioz, who comes from one of legendary Jean Pierre Dubois’ maternal lines, has now started 10 times and has nine wins.
Alessandro Gocciadoro, who raced no fewer than six of the 14 Derby participants, finished unplaced with Golden Boy.
The Oaks del Trotto also went to a Gocciadoro-trained horse.
Here it was Ginger Wise As (sired by Love You) with Antonio di Nardo, who won in 1:56.2f. The winner’s purse was €105,800.
The free-for-all trotters met in the Gran Premio Gaetano Turilli, raced over 1-5/16 miles with a winner’s purse of €64,400. Though he had to start from the second tier, Dubhe Prav (sired by Robert Bi) with trainer/driver Santo Mollo was an easy winner, timed in 1:55.1f (mile rate).