by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

The French trotter Rapide Lebel won the Sct Michels Race at Mikkeli in Finland on Sunday afternoon (July 17) in 1:51.4f — the fastest record so far in Europe this year.

The Mikkeli track is well known for its speed and it was here back in 2002 that the great champion Varenne trotted the European record of 1:51.3f.

Gerard Forni photo

Rapide Lebel was a winner in the Sct Michels Trot.

Rapide Lebel with driver Eric Raffin was trying to eliminate Varenne’s record and as the half-mile went better than :55 it looked promising. But down the stretch Rapide Lebel tired, but he still managed to reach the finish line first in front of another French trotter, the fast finishing Renomme d’Obret with Pierre Levesque in the bike. Ami with Mika Forss, who wn this race last year, finished third.

Rapide Lebel picked up the winner’s purse of $85,000. This was his seventh victory from 10 races in 2011. His trainer Sebastian Gurato will now rest him a couple of months.

There was a lot of trotting action in Europe this Sunday. In Norway the Ulf Thoresens Memorial for 3-year-olds at Jarlsberg was won very easily by the Finnish Brad de Veluwe, driven by his trainer Tuomas Korvenajoa. Brad de Veluwe, who’s sired by Andover Hall, was in a class of his own and on a sloppy track he won the 1-5/16th mile event in 1:59f. The purse for the winner was $110,000.

In Italy the European Championship for 3-year-old trotters over 1-5/16th miles was won by Obama Gar driven by Enrico Bellei. This championship was mainly an Italian issue with six Italian trotters in the field of eight. Obama Gar, who is sired by S J’s Photo, won in 2:01f and the purse for the winner was $60,000.

Obama Gar is the leading 3-year-old trotter in Italy and is ranked as the favorite for the Italian Trotting Derby to be raced in October.

At Enghien in Paris, France, some of the best French trotters met in the Prix de Bruxelles — a race over 1-5/16th miles with a total purse of $115,000. Jean Michel Bazire looked like he was going to win with the favorite, Riglorieux du Bois, but Rodrigo Jet with Jean Etienne Dubois, who had enjoyed a pocket trip, found racing room late to go by to win by a length.