North American trotting powerhouses Arch Madness and Define The World made their presence felt on an international stage in Norway on Sunday
in the 2011 Oslo Grand Prix.
Making his European harness racing debut in rein to Swedish driving ace Bjorn Goop, Arch Madness fired out off the gate from Post 5 and cleared Define The World and driver Paul MacDonell. The lead was short-lived after a backside brush by European trotters Rapide Lebel and Yarrah Boko. Those two dueled stride for stride with Arch Madness looming large in the pocket behind them.
Goop and MacDonell both tipped their charges off the rail heading into the final turn, and as Rapide Lebel finally cleared Goop was fresh and first up for the stretch drive as the backfield started to close in. Arch Madness sprinted away in the lane and hit the wire a length and a half to the good over a hard-closing Lisa America. Classic Grand Cru also closed strongly to just nail Define The World for third, some three lengths back of the winner.
Trained by Norwegian Trond Smedshammer and owned by Marc Goldberg and Barry Goldstein's Willow Pond LLC of New York, Arch Madness (Balanced Image - Armbro Archer) is the first North American-trained horse to win the Oslo Grand Prix. He will enter Sweden's Elitlopp on Sunday, May 29 as one of the likely favourites.