Gran Premio Lotteria, or Gran Premio della Lotteria, or in short, Lotteria, is an annual Group One

Group One

Group One or Group 1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. Group One races may be run under handicap conditions in Australia but in Europe weight-for-age conditions always apply. Races may be also restricted to age groups or a...

 harness event

Harness racing

Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...

 that takes place at Agnano Racetrack in Naples

Naples

Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. The competition, which was inaugurated in 1951, is regarded as one of the most prestigious international events in trotting. The winner is decided through three qualifying heats and a subsequent final later the same day. Both the eliminations and the final are raced over 1,600 meters. Gran Premio Lotteria is part of the European Grand Circuit and the overall purse for the 2009 event was €600,600, equalling approximately US$795,000. The fastest winning time in the history of the race is 1:10.8, run by Varenne

Varenne

Varenne is a dark bay former racing trotter by Waikiki Beach out of Ialmaz by Zebu.The italian Varenne is considered the strongest trotter of all time, no other trotter before he got so many important victories and records.Before he started running, in the opinion of several vets, Varenne could...

 in 2002.

The races

Gran Premio Lotteria is decided through three elimination heats, followed by a final. The first three trotters of each elimination progress to the final, which is run later the same day. There is also a consolations race for the competitors that do not succeed in qualifying for the final.

Distance and starting method

The distance was, during the first seven years, 1,700 meters. This was shortened to 1,680 meters in 1959. In 1976 the distance was further decreased, to today's 1,600 meters. With the exceptions of 1951, 1952 and 1956, the race have always been started by the use of auto start.

The starting list (the final)

1. Algiers Hall - Roberto Vecchione (Holger Ehlert)
2. Opal Viking - Björn Goop (Nils Enqvist)
3. Oiseau de Feux - Jean-Michel Bazire
   Jean-Michel Bazire
   Jean-Michel Bazire is a noted French harness racing driver. In 1999 he won the Prix d'Amérique driving Moni Maker. In 2004 he was the driver for Kesaco Phedo who also won the Prix.- References :...
   
    (Fabrice Souloy)
4. Island Effe - Pietro Gubellini (Edoardo Gubellini)
5. Jodas Julia - Dominiek Locqueneux (Catarina Lundström)
6. Ghibellino - Roberto Andreghetti (Eric Bondo)
7. Idalgo Jet - Pasquale Esposito J:r (Ottavio Silvestri)
8. Classic Grand Cru - Thomas Uhrberg (Steen Juul)
9. Ismos Fp - Enrico Bellei (Claus Ernst Hollman)

Swedish stallion Opal Viking, trained by Nils Enqvist and driven by Björn Goop, was betting favourite, followed by Oiseau de Feux, Algiers Hall and Ghibellino.

The race

Algiers Hall went to the front and driver Roberto Vecchione chose to keep the lead when favourite Opal Viking announced an interest to take it over. Oiseau de Feux followed as third and the pace was very slow. In the stretch, Island Effe and Ghibellino came from behind to claim the first and second place, respectively. Oiseau de Feux overtook Opal Viking to reach third, while the Swedish favourite finished fourth.

Island Effe became the first Italian mare to win the event. The winning time for the Italian 5-year-old mare after Lemon Dra, was 1:57.1 (mile rate)/1:12.9 (km rate). The winner's purse was US$275,000.

Horses with most wins

• 3 - Birbone (1952, 1953, 1955)
• 3 - Tornese (1957, 1958, 1962)
• 3 - Une de Mai (1969, 1970, 1971)
• 3 - Varenne
  Varenne
  Varenne is a dark bay former racing trotter by Waikiki Beach out of Ialmaz by Zebu.The italian Varenne is considered the strongest trotter of all time, no other trotter before he got so many important victories and records.Before he started running, in the opinion of several vets, Varenne could...
  
   (2000, 2001, 2002)
• 2 - The Last Hurrah (1978, 1979)

Drivers with most wins

• 5 - Vivaldo Baldi (1952, 1953, 1955, 1978, 1979)
• 5 - Jean-Rene Gougeon (1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1976)
• 4 - Stig H. Johansson
  Stig H. Johansson
  Stig Henry Johansson is a Swedish trotting trainer and former driver. He started his career as a professional trainer in 1969, and has during a large part of the career been a dominating force in Swedish trotting. He is, arguably, the greatest in Swedish trotting history. Internationally, he is...
  
   (1984, 1991, 2003, 2005)
• 3 - Sergio Brighenti (1958, 1962, 1963)
• 3 - Giampaolo Minnucci (2000, 2001, 2002)

Trainers with most wins

• 5 - Vivaldo Baldi (1952, 1953, 1955, 1978, 1979)
• 4 - Sergio Brighenti (1957, 1958, 1962, 1963)
• 4 - Jean-Rene Gougeon (1969, 1970, 1971, 1976)
• 4 - Stig H. Johansson
  Stig H. Johansson
  Stig Henry Johansson is a Swedish trotting trainer and former driver. He started his career as a professional trainer in 1969, and has during a large part of the career been a dominating force in Swedish trotting. He is, arguably, the greatest in Swedish trotting history. Internationally, he is...
  
   (1984, 1991, 2003, 2005)
• 3 - Jori Turja (2000, 2001, 2002)

Sires with at least two winning offsprings

• 3 - Nevele Pride
  Nevele Pride
  Nevele Pride was an American standardbred harness racehorse who set world records as fastest trotter on multiple occasions. Owned by Stanley Dancer, Nevil Pride won 57 races and was honored as Harness Horse of the Year in three consecutive years. The horse earned more than $870,000 during his...
  
   (Contingent Fee, Evita Broline, Classy Rogue)
• 2 - Ayres (Top Hanover, The Last Hurrah)
• 2 - Pharaon (Tornese, Nievo)
• 2 - Quick Pay (The Onion, Victory Tilly
  Victory Tilly
  Victory Tilly is a Swedish former racing trotter by Quick Pay out of Icora Tilly by Fakir du Vivier.His most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Derby , Elitloppet, Nat Ray Trot and Gran Premio della Lotteria. At the end of his career, the gelding had earned US$5,168,902...
  
  )
• 2 - Speedy Crown (Evann C., Embassy Lobell)

All winners of Gran Premio Lotteria

Year	Horse	Driver	Trainer	Winning horse's native country	Winning time
2011	Libeccio Grif	Marco Smorgon	Marco Smorgon		1:12.8
2010	Italiano	Gaetano Di Nardo	Enrico Bellei		1:11.3
2009	Island Effe	Pietro Gubellini	Edoardo Gubellini		1:12.9
2008	Gambling Bi	Jean-Michel Bazire Jean-Michel Bazire Jean-Michel Bazire is a noted French harness racing driver. In 1999 he won the Prix d'Amérique driving Moni Maker. In 2004 he was the driver for Kesaco Phedo who also won the Prix.- References :...	Fabrice Souloy		1:11.3
2007	Exploit Caf	Jean-Michel Bazire	Fabrice Souloy		1:12.0
2006	Malabar Circle Ås	Andrea Guzzinati	Jerry Riordan		1:12.1
2005	Digger Crown	Stig H. Johansson Stig H. Johansson Stig Henry Johansson is a Swedish trotting trainer and former driver. He started his career as a professional trainer in 1969, and has during a large part of the career been a dominating force in Swedish trotting. He is, arguably, the greatest in Swedish trotting history. Internationally, he is...	Stig H. Johansson		1:13.0
2004	Legendary Lover K.	Enrico Bellei	Gunnar Christiansen		1:12.5
2003	Victory Tilly Victory Tilly Victory Tilly is a Swedish former racing trotter by Quick Pay out of Icora Tilly by Fakir du Vivier.His most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Derby , Elitloppet, Nat Ray Trot and Gran Premio della Lotteria. At the end of his career, the gelding had earned US$5,168,902...	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson		1:12.7
2002	Varenne Varenne Varenne is a dark bay former racing trotter by Waikiki Beach out of Ialmaz by Zebu.The italian Varenne is considered the strongest trotter of all time, no other trotter before he got so many important victories and records.Before he started running, in the opinion of several vets, Varenne could...	Giampaolo Minucci	Jori Turja		1:10.8
2001	Varenne	Giampaolo Minucci	Jori Turja		1:12.6
2000	Varenne	Giampaolo Minucci	Jori Turja		1:12.4
1999	Remington Crown	Joseph Verbeeck	Jan Kruithof		1:11.1
1998	Kramer Boy	Johnny Takter	Johnny Takter		1:14.1
1997	Wesgate Crown	Enrico Bellei	Raz Mackenzie		1:12.4
1996	Crowning Classic	Mauro Baroncini	Mauro Baroncini		1:12.4
1995	Ina Scot Ina Scot Ina Scot is a Swedish former racing trotter by Allen Hanover out of Lovina Grefgård by Mad Scot.Her most prestigious victories include the Swedish Trotting Criterium , the Swedish Trotting Derby , Grand Prix de l'U.E.T...	Helen A. Johansson	Kjell P. Dahlström		1:13.1
1994	Uconn Don	Andrea Baveresi	Andrea Baveresi		1:13.7
1993	Embassy Lobell	Wim Paal	Wim Paal		1:12.8
1992	Bravur Sund	Mauro Baroncini	Mauro Baroncini		1:12.7
1991	Peace Corps	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson		1:14.0
1990	Evann C.	Björn Lindblom	Björn Lindblom		1:12.9
1989	Hollyhurst	Lorenzo Baldi	Lorenzo Baldi		1:13.2
1988	Grades Singing	Olle Goop	Olle Goop		1:12.8
1987	Limbo Joe	Vittorio Guzzinati	Vittorio Guzzinati		1:13.9
1986	Classy Rogue	William Casoli	William Casoli		1:14.8
1985	Evita Broline	Berndt Lindstedt	Berndt Lindstedt		1:13.9
1984	The Onion	Stig H. Johansson	Stig H. Johansson		1:14.1
1983	Keystone Patriot	Veijo Heiskanen	Antti Savolainen		1:15.6
1982	Our Dream of Mite	Eduardo Gubellini	Eduardo Gubellini		1:14.7
1981	Contingent Fee	Mario Rivara	Mario Rivara		1:16.2
1980	Hillion Brillouard	Philippe Allaire	Philippe Allaire		1:13.8
1979	The Last Hurrah	Vivaldo Baldi	Vivaldo Baldi		1:14.9
1978	The Last Hurrah	Vivaldo Baldi	Vivaldo Baldi		1:14.5
1977	Wayne Eden	Anselmo Fontanesi	Anselmo Fontanesi		1:14.7
1976	Bellino II	Jean Rene Gougeon	Jean Rene Gougeon		1:15.2
1975	Dimitria	Leopold Verroken	Leopold Verroken		1:16.1
1974	Top Hanover	Gerhard Krüger	Gerhard Krüger		1:17.7
1973	Lightning Larry	Eduardo Gubellini	Eduardo Gubellini		1:16.5
1972	Amyot	Louis Sauvé	Louis Sauvé		1:16.8
1971	Une de Mai	Jean-Rene Gougeon	Jean-Rene Gougeon		1:16.7
1970	Une de Mai	Jean-Rene Gougeon	Jean-Rene Gougeon		1:16.6
1969	Une de Mai	Jean-Rene Gougeon	Jean-Rene Gougeon		1:16.6
1968	Eileen Eden	Johannes Frömming	Johannes Frömming		1:16.5
1967	Roquepine	Jean-Rene Gougeon	Henri Levesque		1:16.4
1966	Cheer Honey	Gerhard Krüger	Gerhard Krüger		1:16.7
1965	Elma	Johannes Frömming	Jonel Chyriacos		1:16.5
1964	Hurst Hanover	Giancarlo Baldi	Giancarlo Baldi		1:16.7
1963	Behave	Sergio Brighenti	Sergio Brighenti		1:16.4
1962	Tornese	Sergio Brighenti	Sergio Brighenti		1:16.8
1961	Kracovie	Roger Vercruysse	Roger Vercruysse		1:17.0
1960	Nievo	Ugo Bottoni	Ugo Bottoni		1:17.5
1959	Icare IV	Walter Baroncini	Walter Baroncini		1:16.7
1958	Tornese	Sergio Brighenti	Sergio Brighenti		1:17.9
1957	Tornese	Mario Santi	Sergio Brighenti		1:18.5
1956	Gelinotte	Charlie Mills	Charlie Mills		1:17.8
1955	Birbone	Vivaldo Baldi	Vivaldo Baldi		1:18.6
1954	Saint Clair	Oduardo Baldi	Oduardo Baldi		1:19.4
1953	Birbone	Vivaldo Baldi	Vivaldo Baldi		1:18.5
1952	Birbone	Vivaldo Baldi	Vivaldo Baldi		1:18.6
1951	Bayard	Ugo Bottoni	Ugo Bottoni		1:20.3