by Karsten Bønsdorf, USTA Newsroom Senior Correspondent

French trained trotters have made a clean sweep in the Scandinavian international races this spring, winning the Finlandia Ajo, Copenhagen Cup, Elitlopp and now the Oslo Grand Prix.

Univers de Pan, a 6-year-old trotter driven by Philippe Daugeard came from behind to win the Oslo Grand Prix; a month ago the couple won the Finlandia Ajo over the mile.

Gerard Forni photo

Univers de Pan came from behind to win the Oslo Grand Prix.

Going around the last bend it looked like another French trotter, Un Mec d’Heripre Pre, driven by Björn Goop, was going to win, but he became rough gaited and made a break. If he had won, Bjorn Goop would have been behind the winner in the Copenhagen Cup, Elitlopp and Oslo Grand Prix.

Univers de Pan has stamped himself as a top trotter this year. He finished a close second in the Prix de France, won the prestigious mile race Grand Criterium de Vitesse at Cagnes sur Mer, and after that the Finlandia Race, and now the Oslo Grand Prix.

Univers de Pan won the 1-1/4 mile event in 1:55.4f, followed by Support Justice, a 5-year-old Norwegian trotter sired by Kadabra. Third was a fast finishing Solvato (by Donato Hanover).

On the undercard, a 4-year-old Italian trotter, Rue du Bac, became the star of the day as he trotted a new track record at Bjerke of 1:52.3f. Rue du Bac is sired by Infinitif, who had been at stud in Kentucky and in Canada, but who now stands in Sweden.

The Jimmy Takter-trained Uncle Peter had hoped for an invitation for the Oslo Grand Prix, but that never came. Instead Uncle Peter, driven by Johnny Takter, raced Saturday at Ôstersund in Sweden, where he finished fourth on a sloppy track over the 1-1/4 mile distance.