ANNIKE BYE HANSEN
Racehorse Trainer
annikebyehansen.com
Top earner, all horses, Norway 2022
Homebred horse of the year 2022
Winner of Norsk Mesterskap for 2-åringer
Winner of Norsk Rikstotos Oppdrettsløp
Winner Eivind Lyches Minneløp
Winner Drømmemilen 2022
Second Breeders' Prize 2022
Second Derby Trial 2022
Third Norsk Oaks 2022
Homebred of The Year
I Rest My Case - she's the poster girl
Presenting the winner of the award as Best Homebred of The Year in 2022; I Rest My Case, Skoganstallen's popular poster girl.
I Rest My Case earned more prize money than any other horse in running in Norway last year, when she won the valuable Drømmemilen on Derby, picking up 312,000 kroner after what looked like a racecourse gallop, and the historic Brukseier Eivind Lyches Minneløp – an important event for homebred horses. She was also runner-up in the Breeders' Prize, Skandinavisk Mesterskap and against imports in the Derby Trial, a performance that posed the question “should she go for the Derby?”. Well, she didn't – instead taking in the mile race on Derby day, which she won with ridiculous ease, cantering home by 15 ¼ lengths from No Compromise. It was as hard to assess the value of this form as it was not to be impressed by the performance. I Rest My Case won the race with such ease and it would have taken a very good horse to keep up with her on this occasion.
Her win in Lyches Minneløp was also a bit of a stroll, as she outclassed her rivals to win the 1980-metres turf contest by 5 ¼ lengths. Buckybelle finished second, and Queen of Antaktis filled third place, beaten almost nine lengths. This was also a case of I Rest My Case being far too good for her rivals.
She was being tested against better performers though, and ran solid races to be placed in important events. She was second to Hear The Drums in the Skandinavisk Mesterskap for 3yos in July, going down by a neck at the end of a hotly contested race over 1800 metres / turf. Semper Fi was 1 ½ lengths behind her in third, with Sugar Crust fourth. The Derby Trial, run in early August, meant a step up in distance + a clash with good imports. The trip, 2160 metres, did not get the better of I Rest My Case, she stayed all right, but Pas de Faux did. He beat her by 3 lenghts and soon became many people's idea of the 2022 Derby winner. As we know, Hard One To Please had other ideas, but Pas de Faux did frank the Derby Trial form by running third in the Derby – after having been committed far too soon.
Derby day results thus underscored the fact that I Rest My Case was a homebred somewhat out of the ordinary. Such horses are bound to end up in the top races for Scandinavian breds, and I Rest My Case next shipped to Bro Park, to contest the 15-runner Breeders' Trophy Classic. Things had gone pretty smoothly in her previous races but that was not the case at Bro Park, where she faced an impossible task after a very slow start. She stayed on gamely in the home straight but was beaten by five of her rivals. Titannia, the Danish Derby winner, came out on top, beating Giant Fortune narrowly. I Rest My Case passed the winning post 3 ½ lengths behind the winner. Compared to Titannia, who made all, I Rest My Case's start loss was about twice that margin. Her next run, in the Breeders' Prize Classic back home, was better – but also a bit unfortunate – as she ended up on the wrong side of the course when delivering her challenge. Hear The Drums beat her by a length and I Rest My Case was a quarter of a length in front of the third placed runner, Chianti. Good Fortune finished fourth and Titannia disappointed to came home third last.
I Rest My Case rounded her season off in the Norwegian Oaks, run in mid-October. She went off second favourite behind Sea Lodge, who had run second in the Derby. On paper, the classic looked like a two-horse affair, but 18-1 shot Crack The Sky upset the two leading contenders to win from the front. It was an excellent winning ride by Per-Anders Gråberg. Sea Lodge beat I Rest My Case by a neck for second.
What can we expect from I Rest My Case in 2023? It's dangerous to have too high expectations, as her four-year-old campaign must be altogether different to 2022. There will be opporunities in races for Scandinavian breds, but not as many as these horses enjoy when they are three, and I Rest My Case will have to step up against imports. Stakes events for fillies and mares are well worth considering, although the official handicapper has I Rest My Case 8kg below Ascot Brass, 6kg below Iron Butterfly and Silent Night, and 5kg below Takeko. There's a gap to close there, no doubt, but don't be too surprised if I Rest My Case proves to be up to it. GS 290123
2022 season - facts and figures
Top earners, top strike rate,
best average earnings
21 Nov 22: Annike Bye Hansen finished second in the trainers' standings, with 16 winners, 18 runners-up and 8 third place finishers from 75 starters. The stable generated total domestic earnings of NOK. 2,775,249. As many as 56% of all starters saddled by Annike finished in the first three and the stable's win strike rate was an impressive 21.3%, better than any other trainer with more than ten starters during the season. Average earnings per start, NOK 37,003, was also markedly the best return of all trainers with more than ten starters.
The stable's total Scandinavian earnings were close to 5.6 million.
I Rest My Case became the highest earning horse in Norway in 2022, with NOK 775,849 from eight runs. She just edged out her stable companion Hard One To Please on this list, as his domestic earnings were NOK 725,000 from four runs. Hard One To Please would probably get most votes if we decided to crown a Scandinavian Horse of The Year though, and perhaps it's about time to get those Scandinavian stats back up and running? With two easy Derby wins and a gutsy success in the Stockholm Cup International (G3), he earned NOK 2,812,764 all told – and he also became the highest earner in Sweden this year. His fellow Väsby Häst flag bearer Youonlyliveonce sits in tenth place on the list of top earners in Norway this year, with NOK. 322,600 from 11 starts that yielded 2 wins and six other top three efforts. GS
Top earners - Norway 2022
I Rest My Case delivers in style
21 Aug 22: She ran a good second in the Derby Trial, performing really well over 2160 metres, and on Derby day I Rest My Case dropped down in distance, to 1600 metres in the valuable Drømmemilen. It was also a drop down in class, and the daughter of Deceptor was the day's biggest favourite. She did not disappoint - running like an odds-on shot should, she trounced her ten rivals to win by 15 1/4 lengths under Jacob Johansen. Here's a future racing quiz question to keep in the notebook; "Which trainer saddled two big race winners on a Derby day, that won their races with a combined 29 1/4 lengths?"
I Rest My Case was gaining her fourth win from ten starts and, although this form is difficult to assess, it's fair to assume that this homebred filly is improving still. She was chased home by No Compromise, incidentally also coming out of the Derby Trial - a race won by Pas de Faux, who finished third in the Derby.
This was worth 312.000 kroner and I Rest My Case has earned 656.100 kroner. Her next task is the Breeders' Trophy at Bro Park in September.
Brukseier Eivind Lyches Minneløp 2022:
I REST MY CASE MUCH THE BEST
Another raceday - another double
09 June 22: Annike's team is on an absolute roll. Just a week after orchestrating a fine double with General de Vega and Hard One To Please, she repeated the feat with I Rest My Case capturing Brukseier Eivind Lyches Minneløp, and Youonlyliveonce taking the Heureux Handicap, after running second to General de Vega last time out. The latter was backed as if defeat was out of the question, going off as the 1.20-favourite under jockey Jacob Johansen. Those who took such short odds did get a scare, as Youonlyliveonce showed battling qualities to win by a nose, hard pressed by the second favourite, Herewegodandy. I Rest My Case was also odds-on to succeed, and did so in altogether more comfortable way - scooting home by 5 1/4 lengths from Byckybelle, with Queen of Antarktis 3 1/2 lengths further adrift in third place. This was a homebred event so perhaps we should not get too carried away - though I Rest My Case's form is beginning to look quite smart.
Stabell talk 2022
I Rest My Case - highly promising homebred
She has only raced four times but I Rest My Case, a taking daughter of the Machiavellian son Deceptor has come a long way in short space of time. This homebred runner has experienced no more than 5.4 minutes of racing action thus far, yet she has gained two wins, both in stakes company, been placed once in stakes company and earned a nomination to the prestigious Horse of The Year Awards in Norway. Several of her contemporaries work a lot harder, and for considerably longer, to get even close to such recognition.
So how good could this filly be when she matures? Hard to say, homebreds have been getting consistently better over the years, with the likes of Ragazzo, Theatrical Award and Lorofino competing successfully at the top level. To expect I Rest My Case to become as good as that trio would be, well if not downright silly, then at least rather optimistic. Then again, who knows? The beauty of this game is that dreams are actually being fulfilled – from time to time. Then there is that mysterious element called luck. Sven Hanson, who bred and raced one of the best fillies in the world, the phenomenal Pride, and also won the Epsom Oaks with Fair Salinia and French Derby with Reliable Man, is one of the internationally most successful Scandinavians in this sport. When asked what had been the key factor to his excellent results on the turf, Hanson candidly replied; “There is so much talk about being shrewd, clever and so on in this game, but I'd say the main thing that has helped me is pure luck”.
There you have it then. All we need is luck. No not quite, and that wasn't what Hanson meant either of course. He also pointed out that without a good team around the horse you have no chance. You need a good horse, with a racing attitude, you need a good trainer, a good rider, and – when all of those things are in place – you need the right racing conditions on the days that matter, and luck. I Rest My Case certainly is a good prospect, and she is in the best of hands at Annike's stable. After running fifth on her debut, beaten five lengths behind Semper Fi over 900 metres over a soft turf course in late July (when she was just a length behind the runner-up), I Rest My Case went for Norsk Mesterskap for 2-åringer in September. Stepping up in class and distance, she was being asked to tackle 1170 metres on the turf course – on this day labelled as good. Once more ridden by Kaia Ingolfsland, I Rest My Case showed significant improvement and won the big race. She fought it out against Queen of Antarktis and won by half a length. Interestingly, I Rest My Case went off favourite for the eight-runner contest. Racing fans had obviously noted her down as a nice prospect after her debut seven weeks weeks earlier.
I Rest My Case renewed rivalry with both Semper Fi and Queen of Antarktis in Norsk Forening for Fullblodsavl Løp in October, and this time she had to settle for third place. Semper Fi won with ease, while Queen of Antarktis got the better of I Rest My Case in the battle for second in the 1370 metres long contest. The placed horses both performed with great credit. Losing to Semper Fi is something quite a few juveniles experienced in 2021. She was coming off a big win at Bro Park in Sweden, where she landed the Breeders Trophy Juvenile by beating Smooth Operator by 2 ½ lengths.
Norsk Rikstotos Oppdrettsløp, run over 1600 metres on the dirt track in late October, meant a third meeting with Queen of Antarktis, and I Rest My Case displayed more stamina than her arch rival, beating her readily to win by a length under Cornelia Hartsmar. It was a perfect ending to a near perfect first season on the track, and Stall Ella's filly closed her campaign out on a progressive note. It will be fascinating to follow her as a three-year-old, when the waters will be a bit deeper of course. Judged on how she went about the game at two, I Rest My Case appears to have the talent to do well also in 2022. She is a highly promising homebred. GS 220411
Young talents providing quick fire double
I Rest My Case and Tambora Queen rock solid winners
28 Oct 21: Two of the stable's young horses lit up this late October evening. Juvenile filly I Rest My Case, previously an easy winner of Norsk Mestersskap for 2-åringer, followed up with another comfortable win in Norsk Rikstotos Oppdrettsløp. Tackling 1600 metres on the dirt track, the daughter of Deceptor never looked in any danger as she came home a length in front of Queen of Antarktis, who had been her runner-up also in Norsk Mesterskap. Cornelia Hartsman was in the saddle, as Stall Ella's talented young filly earned 60,000 kroner. The year older Tambora Queen had already been on the podium when this happened. She won the first race on the night, a 1600 metres Noviseløp, which she captured under Elione Chaves, taking the race in really determined style by a quarter of a length. I Apple finished second and Monjazaat was third home in this race. Annike has kept the winners coming in recent weeks, in what has been quite a remarkable autumn for the stable. With just two racedays to go before the season is over, it almost feels like we would like this flow of success to continue all the way up to Christmas. Then again, if Christmas comes early, what's left to complain about? Nothing at all. GS
I Rest My Case - winner of two important stakes events for homebreds, and truly an exciting prospect looking ahead to 2022.
With this win, she proved that she can be efficient on dirt as well as on turf.
Photo:: hesteguiden.com
I Rest My Case, ridden by Kaia Ingolfsland, winning Norsk Mesterskap for 2-åringer, with plenty left in the tank.
Photo:: hesteguiden.com
Two runners – two winners!
I Rest My Case on the up, Noosa Prince in smashing form
16 Sep 21: Annike had two runners on this evening card and, as they both won, we can safely say that this was a good day in the office – as well as a nice boost to the team ahead of bigger tasks at Bro Park on Sunday.
I Rest My Case did so much wrong for such a long way of Norsk Mesterskap for 2-åringer, but when the penny finally dropped about a furlong from the winning post, well, then she leveled off nicely and ran on really well to win the valuable stakes race staged over 1170 metres. She was a bit tardy from the stalls, raced with the choke out while seeing far too much daylight while pressing the pace going around the bend, fumbled a bit more in the early parts of the home straight, and still she proved to be the best of these juveniles. It makes lot of sense to assume that she was much the best in this field and that those she beat today will find it hard to match strides with her in upcoming races. That said, there were some debutantes on show, and it was obviously a good thing that I Rest May Case, calmly ridden by Kaia Ingolfsland, was given an introduction prior to this contest. She was chased home by Queen Of Antarktis, who was beaten half a length, and third place went to Gold Rush.
Noosa Prince brought us more joy half an hour later, as he added to his success last week by winning the Wattan Handicap over 1600 metres from Kildare and Seven Nation Army. Noosa Prince was ridden Willa Synøve Schou, who sent him straight to the lead. This horse really is at the top of his game right now. He was full of zest, yet nicely composed, in front, and when it looked like the cashing pack might cut into his advantage, he just quickened up again to disappoint them all in a matter of strides. Noosa won the contest very comfortably, passing the winning post 2 lengths in front of the runner-up.
Stabell talk 2021
I Rest My Case - related to Al Buraq
I Rest My Case, a juvenile filly by Deceptor out of the Special Quest daughter Sweety, is bred to be good. Out of a mare that was fast and precocious, I Rest My Case comes from the same family as the highly successful handicapper Al Buraq. It will be interesting to see how she gets on when her racing career gets underway. Her sire Deceptor enjoyed success with a number of good runners, amongst them high earners like Vortex, Working Class Hero and Dickie Dickens.
Deceptor, a beautifully bred Darley product, ran just twice, winning a Doncaster maiden before finishing fifth in Listed company at Newbury – both these outings were made when he was a juvenile. He was a son of top class miler and excellent stallion Machiavellian out of Satin Flower, whose finest moment came with a win against colts in the Jersey Stakes (G3) at Royal Ascot. She went on to be a successful broodmare. Her best son, Lujain, was a top class juvenile who won the Middle Park Stakes (G1).
I Rest My Case's dam Sweety was a fast and precocious lady who enjoyed a fine career with five wins and 710.794 kroner in total earnings. She was an instant hit in her first season, as she won two of her five races at two, both of them were valuable events.
Sweety made an impressive debut when proving much too good for her 14 rivals in Norsk Rikstotos Rekrutteringsløp over 1170 metres on turf. Her lack of experience was no problem and she captured the race easily by 3 lengths, chased home by Fredde and Rock The Boat. Sweety was made favourite for Skandinavisk Mesterskap for 2-åringer next time out, but she had to settle for fifth place in that event, staged over 1370 metres. Dropped back down to 1170 metres, she regained winning form in Norsk Rikstotos Oppdrettsløp, this time securing the prize by the narrowest of margins, getting her nose in front of Daydream Believer. Twelve others were stretched out behind these two rivals. Sweety's next two wins came on her first two starts as a three-year-old. She beat Rock The Boat in Norsk Rikstotos 3-Årsløp over 1100 metres on the dirt track, and followed up with a nice 6-length win in Forsommerløp For 3-Åringer, staged over 1170 metres on turf. Sweet as Candy ran second, while Daydream Believer filled third and Rock The Boat came home in fourth place. It was never going to be easy for Sweety to follow up on such good results as an older horse but she timed it well when gaining her fifth success. It happened in the Mini Cooper Sprint, a well paid minor event on dirt in Sweden. Out of Vista Hermosa, Sweety is a half-sister to win machine Al Buraq and Peer Gynt, both handled by Annike. GS 120321