Bologna, August 18, 2026 – The greatest trotter of all time is no longer with us. It is April 4, 1998 in Bologna, the horse Varenne is 3 years old. And in a Premio Primavalle at the Arcoveggio Racecourse, his legend began. Even if sometimes legends do not start with a victory.
At that time Varenne belonged to Jean Pierre Dubois, a French trainer who had bought him when he was just six months old. His debut, however, was irregular: breaking into a gallop, compromised trial, disqualification. But that impressive sprint made those watching from the sidelines jump. And from a disqualification his story began: for 180 million lire (about 90 thousand euros) Varenne was sold to Enzo Giordano, assisted by Finnish trainer Jori Turja and his driver partner Giampaolo Minnucci, with whom the horse formed an almost unbeatable pair.
Biography: born in Copparo, won 62 races out of 73
Born in 1995 at the Zenzalino breeding farm in Copparo, in the province of Ferrara, “The Captain” passed away at the age of 31 due to a sudden heart attack, in Eboli in the province of Salerno. However, Varenne was not only a phenomenon of unmatched longevity and athleticism, but he transformed into a living enterprise capable of generating an estimated total turnover of over 150 million euros from prizes, image rights, and especially a global-scale breeding industry. Between 1998 and 2002, the trotter competed in 73 official races, collecting as many as 62 wins, 6 second places, and 2 third places. A record that led him to accumulate over 6.03 million euros in prize money alone earned on racecourses around the world, a figure that still makes him the richest trotting horse in the history of world horse racing.
Cesaron (HippoGroup): “Varenne united trotting and galloping enthusiasts”
Walter Cesaron, technical manager of HippoGroup racecourses, including Bologna, do you remember that April 4, 1998?
“Yes, Varenne broke into a gallop and was disqualified. But he showed he was strong. Certainly, no one would have imagined he would win what he won, but it was clear he would be a very good horse.”
After that debut, his story began.
“He was initially bought by a Venetian team, but he failed the purchase examination due to a physical problem, which would later cause his retirement, but never affected his career.”
And then?
“After Bologna, everyone became interested in him. In the end, he was bought by Giordano and Minnucci.”
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When did you realize that the one who debuted in Bologna would be the strongest horse of all time?
“On October 11, 1998, at Tor di Valle, Varenne won the Italian trotting Derby in a generational race against Viking Kronos, then considered the emerging phenomenon of Italian horse racing and who had already beaten him at the Milan National Grand Prix. Another great event was in 1999 when he won almost all the grand prix races of the circuit before debuting on the international stage at the Grand Prix of Nations, where he defeated the American Moni Maker.”
Then, indeed, the international successes…
“France, Sweden, United States. He won the Prix d’Amérique twice in 2001 and 2002, in those same years also the Elitloppet in 2001 and 2002 in Stockholm. And in 2001 he also won in New York.”
Are you surprised that the story of such an important phenomenon for trotting was born between Ferrara and Bologna?
“Not at all. Bologna is a cornerstone of the national horse racing system. It is part of history: the best horses pass through Bologna. And Varenne always proved to be the best in the world. Not only as a trotter, but also in his breeding activity.”
And then?
“Italian trotting did not fully understand Varenne’s greatness. He could have been the vehicle to make trotting one of the most known activities among Italians. Instead, after Varenne, attention to this discipline declined. Thanks to Varenne many would travel to Paris at the end of January, or to Sweden, just to see him. He united enthusiasts of both trotting and galloping.”
