FOR TURIN A WEEK END AS EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF TROT RACING

A concentration of emotions and events: four unique events that will turn Turin and its surrounding area into the European capital of horses and trotting for an entire long weekend. In a couple of cases the events are unique and in any case historic: on Sunday 6 April at the Vinovo racecourse the Costa Azzurra Grand Prix and the two sessions of the 4-year-old Derby for males and females – ANACT Stakes+/ Gran Premio Città di Torino, sponsored by the Metropolitan City of Turin, but previously also the start of the Holy Year Equiraduno. And on Monday 7th April the UET Board, the top European trotting organisation, will meet in Turin. A series of events that deserved an exceptional opening and in fact the press conference was organised by Hippogroup Torinese in the Sala dei Camini of the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi, courtesy of the Fondazione Ordine Mauriziano.
The importance of the two-day event was emphasised by Remo Chiodi, General Director for horse racing at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, connected via video conference: "From Turin comes a virtuous and positive example for all of Italy, which we are committed to doing at the request of Minister Lollobrigida and Undersecretary La Pietra. It's part of the UET Elite Circuit but it's also one of the most important races in Italy. The award was well deserved, also for everything you've managed to create with the territory. There will also be the Derby for 4-year-olds, an important event because Italian breeding has raised its head again, Italian horses are winning everywhere and among the 3 and 4-year-olds there are horses that will give us great satisfaction in the future. There are lots of side events, it will be a great social event. The format is therefore perfectly in line with the Ministry's indications. Then on Monday in Turin there will be the UET Board meeting, which is a source of pride for Turin and for Hippogroup Torinese, so it will become the trotting capital. An edition not to be missed’.

HOLY YEAR EQUIRADUNO
One of the most eagerly awaited and significant events on Sunday 6th April will be the departure from the Vinovo racecourse of the ‘Piedmont section of the Holy Year Horse Rally’, one of the three great equestrian caravans that will then reach Rome for the Jubilee. The entire project, promoted as part of the Jubilee on Horseback, includes three different races: the Francigena, the Romea Germanica and the Romea Strata, united in one great pilgrimage that will see hundreds of riders, horses and enthusiasts from all over Italy and Europe converge on the capital of Christianity.

An innovative project, born from the collaboration between the Final Furlong Business Network, of which HippoGroup Torinese has been a part since the beginning, and the Natura a Cavallo Association, which makes the Francigena accessible also for long-distance horse riding and promotes a model of slow and sustainable tourism that respects the environment and enhances the landscape.
Alessandro Ferraris (vice president of Hippogroup Torinese): "The Jubilee restores the sense of travel, with the horse as the protagonist and not as a means of transport. It will not only be the start of a stage, but the beginning of a new vision of tourism, characterised by quality and respect for the environment. A slow and conscious form of tourism that generates new synergies like the one that already exists between the Vinovo Racetrack and the Palazzina di Caccia. In our dreams it must become the largest horse park in the world, but it's possible’.

Maurizio Rosellini (President of Final Furlong): "Vinovo strongly wanted the Equiraduno to start from there, our partnership is solid. The project we are carrying out with MASAF looks at a logic of connection with racecourses and parks. The idea came about a couple of years ago, the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi had not considered including a project of this type. Thanks to the patronage of Monsignor Fisichella's Department of Evangelisation we have started. Riders will arrive from all over Italy, retracing the ancient pilgrims‘ routes’.
Franco Benedetto (Natura a Cavallo): ‘We will be technical partners of the initiative and we thank them for involving us, as well as Hippogroup with whom we have already organised several initiatives. It will be a spiritual and emotional journey. We will have 15-16 horses and we will rotate them to rest throughout the journey, we are organised at every stage’.

GRAN PREMIO COSTA AZZURRA
The Gran Premio Costa Azzurra is a tradition that has been renewed for 62 years and has brought all the greatest trotters and drivers of all time to the Turin track, as demonstrated by the Roll of Honour that starts with the American Firestar with Gioacchino Ossani in 1963 and so far includes Banderas Bi with Antonio Velotti last year. Now, however, there is an additional reason for interest: on the specific recommendation of the MASAF (Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry), the race in 2025 has become part of the ’ UET ELITE CIRCUIT’, the calendar that brings together the most important European trotting races in a single final ranking, starting with the Grand Prix d'Amerique at the end of January in Paris, the Criterium de Vitesse in Cagnes sur Mer, the Lotteria di Agnano and the Elitloppet in Stockholm, with the final scheduled for 11 October in Solvalla, Sweden. That's why even more international spectators, enthusiasts, horse owners and foreign journalists are expected on this occasion.

This is a prestigious event for the Vinovo Racetrack, which will also be enriched by the organisation, on Monday 7th April in Turin, of the General Council of the European Trotting Union (the UET Board) that MASAF has entrusted to HippoGroup Torinese. All the presidents of the European Trotting Federations will arrive in Turin and will also be able to admire the artistic and cultural beauties of the area. They will obviously be welcomed by Tamara Papiccio, elected new vice president last January.

GRAN PREMIO CITTA' DI TORINO - DERBY OF THE 4 YEARS
Also on Sunday 6 April, the Gran Premio Città di Torino will be held. The Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Cavalli Trotto (ANACT) has decided to promote it to the rank of Derby dei 4 Anni, the most important race in Italy for these horses, both males and females. Twenty-one will be at the start, having passed through the heats in Milan and Rome.

These are some of the statements made by the speakers at the Press Conference:

Silvano Costantino (councillor of the Metropolitan City of Turin): "I bring greetings from Mayor Lorusso, who is always close to you. Congratulations on all the work that is being done. This will be the Champions League of trotting, followed by the UET board, so two days with Turin at the centre of the world. A moment of shared reflection on what we are experiencing. The GP Città di Torino is sponsored by us, it is highly ranked and we are happy about that. The way the event has been conceived, it will be an important moment for the whole community, in a context of great prestige’.

Maria Grazia Midollini (Mayor of Vinovo): "The racecourse is a source of great pride. Over the years, our relationship has grown stronger and stronger, we care deeply about it. In recent years, I have discovered a reality that I did not know about by getting closer to the heart of the structure. The animals are the centre of attention, there are many passionate people who take care of them and who have been able to expand the scope of this activity. A hub for the productive activities of the territory and even more so this year with the Jubilee. As the territory of Vinovo we want to collaborate to enhance this type of activity, slow tourism that is increasingly respectful of nature. I'm sure it will be a great success‘.

Guido Melzi d'Eril (President and CEO of Hippogroup Torinese): ’A special day, there will be important horses and a race that is technically very difficult to decipher. The track is in the best condition, we look forward to seeing you and keep your fingers crossed’.

Jacopo Brischetto (President of Allevatori Piemontesi and National Vice-President of ANACT): "We didn't expect Vernissage to still be here, it's a joy. As ANACT we only had a race for 2-year-olds, we realised that we had to expand the project and the Stakes+ programme was born to take them further and further in their growth. There was no Derby for 4-year-olds, now there is. We also wanted to get rid of a reputation, the one that we are only interested in 2-year-olds and then once the horses grow up we abandon them to their fate with the new owners‘.

Marco Trentini (MASAF Senior Handicapper): ’Excellent race, for the quality and quantity of the horses. It's difficult at this time of year to get foreign horses, especially French ones, but on the other hand all the native ones are here. Vernissage Grif is the most loved in Italy, Executiv Ek is the present and future, Dimitri Ferm and Dany Capar who is coming off the back of his success in the Duomo are in great shape, many others could do well’.

Andrea Guzzinati (one of the most successful drivers in Italy): "I already drove him in Modena last year. He's an important horse that we're preparing for the Lotteria, the number isn't exceptional but the race is beautiful, an edition to remember. In the Derby Floy di Girifalco, who finished second in Rome in the heats, he can be a surprise at least for an important placing. The programme will be all about quality, we'll have fun‘.

Silvano Ferraris (director of the Vinovo Racecourse): ’We'll fill the day with activities. The ponies from the Old Ranch Ferrero in Chivasso will be back for the ‘baptism of the saddle’. And then the fun ‘Treasure Hunt’ accompanied by other games, including the Luna Park, organised by CircoWow, who are regulars at our events. But also the elegant carriages of Adamo Martin and ‘Servizi in Carrozza’ for a tour of the track, the tasting of risottos prepared by the well-known chef Sergio Barzetti (a very well-known face on TV and a great horse lover), the market of local products with the ‘Stupinigi É...’ Association, the Army soldiers on horseback. In addition, the Gruppo delle Mele Verdi (Green Apple Group) with the Croce Verde (Green Cross) for children and the entire parterre area of the Turin racecourse will be transformed into a large playground. And again, the Polaroid photo booth with EquTV (channel 220 on Sky, 151 on Digital Terrestrial, 51 on Tivùsat) that will broadcast all the races live.
Finally, for photography enthusiasts, a real treat to enjoy throughout the day starting at 10.00 a.m. Stefano Grasso, one of the most important sports photographers in the field of horse racing (his photo of Varenne taking ‘the bow’ is very famous), will be at the racecourse to hold his workshop. In the morning there will be a theoretical part and photos in the stables, then in the afternoon there will also be an exclusive area on the track for participating photographers.