Gran Premio Duomo 2026: Elite Trotters Clash for €165,000 Glory in Florence
The 2026 Gran Premio Duomo (Group 1) will take place tomorrow at Florence's Cesare Meli Racecourse. Scheduled for 2:53 PM on March 15, the race features ten elite trotters competing for a €165,000 prize. This historic mile-long event, backed by MASAF and Grande Ippica Italiana, remains one of Italy's most prestigious trotting races.
Alessandro Gocciadoro, a six-time winner of the GP Duomo, will chase Sergio Brighenti's record of nine victories. His mount, Dany Capar, a dominant 7-year-old Tuscan, won the 2025 Duomo in 1:10.6 and enters as a key contender.
Magnus Djuse will drive Always EK, the race favourite. The horse holds a short-distance record of 1:08.6 and has claimed major titles, including the 2024 Grand Prix des Nations and the 2025 Lotteria.
Follia d'Esi, driven by Marco Stefani for Team Baroncini, arrives fresh from a GP Encat win in Milan. Funny Gio, Italy's top trotting mare, faces a tough challenge from post position seven but remains a proven classic winner. Dubhe Prav and Free Time Jepson also join the field, though they sit a tier below the frontrunners.
With such a competitive lineup, the outcome is far from certain.
The Gran Premio Duomo will showcase some of Europe's finest trotters in a tightly contested race. The winner will take home a share of the €165,000 purse and a place in the event's long history. Spectators can expect a thrilling competition at one of Italy's most celebrated horse racing events.
