On a bright Sunday in Sweden, in May 2014, eternal conqueror Timoko forged himself a glorious international victory, worthy of embellishing the outstanding prize list which he has been building up in French racing since he was three.
When Richard Westerink called upon the services of expert Swedish driver Björn Goop in spring 2014, he was quietly confident that his champion was capable of winning the Elitloppet three weeks later. This is the showpiece event of Scandinavian harness racing and Timoko had finished third in it a year earlier. Richard Westerink was not mistaken; not only did Timoko triumph in the qualifiers, he won the final in a record time of 1’09’’5!
So at 7 years old, Timoko has turned a new page in his already long and lavish career. He has won almost every event in France, starting with seven Group 1s between the ages of three and six years old. The majority of his victories have been won on the ‘’Grande Piste” at Vincennes, which is exactly where he will be contesting his fourth consecutive Prix d’Amérique Opodo. His best result so far has been fifth place in the world harness racing championship, which he achieved in both 2014 and 2012. This year, Richard Westerink’s horse has been prepared for the big day in a different way, staying in Normandy rather than going to the south west, as he usually does after the breeding season. However, his entourage is counting on having the advantage of him being fresh: they passed on the last of the four prep races after he came seventh in the Prix de Bourgogne. He wasn’t completely comfortable in this race but Björn Goop found his behaviour satisfactory.
Male, 8 years old
Driver: Björn Goop
Trainer: Richard Westerink
Owner: Richard Westerink
24 wins including the Elitloppet (25/05/2014) in 1’09’’5
