Heemskerk’s short track trotting race was won by Manon Pools with Hero Baldwin De Heemskerkse pikeur defeated Mats Wester, who rode with Panic Launcher, in the final.
Polish, the local favourite, was also the winner on the Marquettelaan in 2018. Then she won in very bad weather conditions. Due to the bad weather, the match was postponed so long that the final was almost held in the dark. Today Manon Pools showed that he could also win with a sun.
The Marquettelaan, traditional place of action, was busier than ever. According to trotting chairman Gerard Post Uiterweer there were about ten thousand spectators. “So many people together, I’ve never seen that here before.”
It was the first time since 2019 that the short track trotting race was held. Manon Pools is the daughter of Aad Pools, ‘Mister Kortebaandraverij.’ He lost in the first round to Bo Sprengers, his former student. Sprengers went out with Doc Holiday in the third round.
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The trotting started three quarters of an hour later because of a horse that had run amok just past the finish line while warming up. Ferran Convital was startled by something and stormed towards a public road.
His rider at the time, trainer Cees Imming, was thrown from the sulky, but was unharmed. Ferran Convital was able to be brought to a halt on Rijksstraatweg. He had not caused any damage and was unharmed. The horse did not start again after that. Gerard Post Uiterweer: “That was irresponsible because of the stress.”