Leading the €138.750,00-added Level (L) 4 composite score with 438.5 (220.5, 218) is Mirko Midili riding GD Peptos Olena Blue (Spat A Blue x Miss Peptos Jacky x Peptos Lil Bingo), owned and bred by Domenico Giannitti. The duo also tied to win the first go round. The talented stallion was trained by Italian professional Stefano Cerrutti who, due to health issues, passed the reins to Midili a few months ago. “He was quiet and focused in the first go round and today he did well even though he was a little more nervous than usual,” said Midili who won the second go round aboard Nicola Sola’s Whizkeywood (Whizkey N Diamonds x Hollywood Footprints) but did not make the Finals on the buckskin stallion by one point. “It’s a shame we had some bad luck with Sola’s horse, but I am thrilled with the fact that I qualified Luga QH’s mare Angel On Fire (Inferno 66 x Lena Dun It) for the finals. Giovanni [Luga] showed her in the qualifying go round of the Non Pro Futurity here, scored a zero, so we decided to show her in the Open and it worked! I am also very proud of my assistant, Thomas Beget, who is leading the Level 1 Open composite score.”
Midili of Italy won his first futurity titles in the 2012 IRHA Futurity where he claimed all the levels riding renowned sire SG Frozen Enterprize owned by Silver Spurs Equine — at the time owned by Marco Franchini — and also tied to win the Italian L4 Open in 2019 aboard Not Black At All (by Not Ruff At All), owned by Luga Quarter Horses.
The €37.500,00-added L3 top highest composite score—a 436 (220.5, 215.5)— went to Syliva Rzepka and Wimpy Walla Whiz, a stallion by NRHA Twelve Million Dollar Sire Wimpys Little Step out of Memorable Walla Whiz (by NRHA Three Million Dollar Sire Walla Walla Whiz). With the stallion owned by Zsolt Méder of Hungary, Rzepka who describes him as being a mature and solid horse, tied to win the first go round. The German trainer based in Austria has had him in training for the past three years and together they were 2020 NRHA Germany Breeders Futurity finalists.
The €18.750,00-added L2 division was for Alfredo Ciabattoni of Italy who took the lead with a 432.5 composite score (219.5, 213) riding Shine Solano Whiz. The flashy mare by NRHA Million Dollar Sire Shine Chic Shine out of Ms Solano Whiz is owned by Giuseppe Basile. “I am really happy with this result and I want to thank the owner Giuseppe [Basile] for giving me the opportunity to ride this amazing mare. She’s out of one of his broodmares and having a ‘home-made’ horse lead this division going into the finals makes him so proud,” said Ciabattoni. “She is a very sweet mare, still has to mature compared to other horses her age, but I’m sure that next year we’ll see a big difference in her. We had a little bobble in today’s run, but we will try to make up for it in the final.”
In the €9.000,00-added L1, French Thomas Beget, now based in Italy, rode Luga QH’s Shinin Moonstone (Spark N Whiz x AR Lucky Wrangler) to a 428.5 (214.5, 214).
Action in Cremona will continue on Thursday, May 20 with the NRHA European Non Pro Finals starting at 8.30 a.m., followed by the European Futurity Open Finals.
For the online downloadable NRHA European Non Pro Finals Draw click HERE
For the NRHA European Futurity Open Finals Draw click HERE
The 2020 Arcese/MS Diamonds TX IRHA/IRHBA Open Futurity finals will close the event on Saturday, May 22. The event is held behind closed doors.
For those that would like to follow the action live, see below:
- Livescore and full results click here
- Livestream click here
- For further information: www.nrhaeuropeanfuturity.com
NRHA European Futurity Media Contact
Simona Diale / International Horse Press
