Giacomo Bassi with the stallion Cape Cod, in the “small” GP Trofeo Loro Piana, yesterday’s main race in Piazza di Siena, raised hopes of an Italian victory until the last two courses of the barrage. In the end he finished in a well-deserved 3rd place, after the Dutch Willem Greve (Grandorado Tn Nop), penultimate to start, won by setting a better time, unattainable even by the last to start, the German Mario Stevens (Sarissa) who is ranked 2nd. Only 5 clear doubles in this very selective test (1.55 m).
Bassi, a 32-year-old rider from Imola, was the only Italian, with the quality 11-year-old bay stallion bred in Italy, to access the barrage. Certainly this is another combination that the “cittì” Porro will keep in mind to strengthen the blue ranks. Before the competition, the management of Fieracavalli presented its new brand identity at the Casina di Raffaello, during a cocktail party for professionals and friends. Then, once the “small” GP was over and while waiting for the Six Barriers to begin, the agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (Masaf) and the Fise, for the recovery of racehorses at the end of their career and their retraining for use in riding. The agreement was sealed by Masaf undersecretary Patrizio La Pietra and Fise president Marco Di Paola. At that point jockey Manuel Porcu (winner of 350 races) handed over the 5-year-old thoroughbred Frabematt to the Argentinian polo ace Patricio Rattagan. And the Six Barriers Loro Piana began, with 10 participants including 5 Italians. At the fourth pass the only one to still overcome the entire half dozen jumps unscathed, with the last one at a height of 1.95 m, was the inexhaustible Gaudiano who, riding the Grisons Jaja, achieved the spectacular feat (0 /0/0/0) ahead of the Irishman Daniel Coyle on Lena Vdl (0/0/0/4) and Nico Lupino on Net Twist van’T Ruytershof, who had already made a mistake on the third pass (0/0/4 ). In joint 7th place Simoni on Cachgon and Guido Grimaldi with Cheyenne de La Violle (both 0/4), in 10th Eugenio Grimaldi with Chanimo (4). In the morning the Belgian Zoe Conter (Lazy) had signed the “145” Premio Kep Italia”.
Today the Csio in Rome Piazza di Siena ends with the highlight individual race of the entire meeting, the Rolex Gran Premio Roma. Nine Italians qualified: Ciriesi, De Luca, A. Garofalo, G. Garofalo, Grossato, Martinengo-Marquet, Lupino, Pisani, Zorzi.
On TV: 7.30am Rai Sport, Differata LP Sei Barriere, 12.25pm Rai Sport Live Rolex GP Roma, 2.00pm/3.20pm Rai 2, Live Rolex GP Roma.
