“He do it again!!!”, He did it again! The crowd that packed the Turin racecourse in every available seat for the 99° edition of the trotting Derby was for the most part left open-mouthed and in the end could do nothing but applaud the feat of Iceberg Lp and Andrea Guzzinati who, with a tremendous home straight, made up metre after metre; length after length and in the end won the Derby and with it the Nastro Azzurro as leader of the three-year-old harness racing generation. After all, what the son of Face Time Bourbon was capable of had already been seen in the heat when the recovery, if we like, had been even more striking. But this time it was different: first of all there was no longer the surprise factor because more or less everyone had seen that home straight in the heat and then there were the rivals: all extremely determined also because while in the heat in the end it could be important to finish among the first four, in the final you have to win, no prisoners can be taken.
When Roberto Vecchione after victory in the heat learned that because of contractual obligations he would not be able to drive the representative of Scuderia San Vincenzo also in the final, probably some doubts crossed his mind. Walter Zanetti, Iceberg’s trainer, had to search through the list of available drivers and in the end the choice could only fall on him, Andrea Guzzinati, the man who probably knows the exact location of every grain of sand on the Turin track, and never was a choice happier.
Rewinding the tape, the race report tells of an Il trio Jet who lived up to his role as favourite and as a horse destined to play a leading role in the race from the very first metre. Santo Mollo immediately took the son of Wishing Stone to the lead, repelling Impressive Dance who from the top of the first row had tried everything, but had to settle on the outside of the leader only to fade quite quickly and be replaced by the one who, according to many, was the obligatory co-favourite: Ideal Turdance.
Behind, Iambellesi Tq settled into position taking advantage of the draw, while Iceberg, having nevertheless started fairly promptly, moved first into third-over, which became second-over when Impressive Dance ran out of steam Santo Mollo tried in every way to moderate the pace: 30.6 for the first 400 metres; 45 for the 600, 1.14.4 for the km, are figures of a tactical pace, but behind both Antonio di Nardo with Ideal Turdance and Andrea Guzzinati with Iceberg Lp seemed to be waiting only for the moment of truth, that of entering the home straight. The three fanned out and the finish rewarded the sharp, unstoppable turn of foot of Iceberg Lp. 1.12.9 the kilometre rate.
Second Derby for Andrea Guzzinati after the one with Nadir Kronos (2010), the first for Walter Zanetti who has shaped many talented colts and has often come close, but who this time was able to celebrate from home connected by phone with the prize-giving stage, already… because there are already the future champions to tame and prepare.
