Racing career 1998 As a three-year-old, Varenne began his racing career in Premio Primavalle in Bologna on April 4. His driver was his early trainer, Swedish Roger Grundin, but Varenne was disqualified. The second attempt was more successful. With Italian driver Giampaolo Minnucci, Varenne won Premio Mirtillo at Tor di Valle, Rome, on April 30. In October, he won the Italian trotting derby (Italian: Derby Italiano del Trotto), which was his most lucrative victory until Prix d'Amérique in early 2001. Varenne ended 1998 by finishing third in Gran Premio Orsi Mangelli. In his first year on the track, he won 8 of 12 races. In 1998, Dubois sold his share in Varenne to Italian stockbroker Vincenzo "Enzo" Giordano for €50,000. Varenne also switched trainera to Finnish-born and Italy-based Jori Turja. Turja, as well as driver Minnucci, remained Varenne's partner for the remainder of the horse's career. 1999 In 1999, Varenne had a perfect record: 14 wins out of 14 starts. He won Gran Premio d'Europa, Gran Premio Tino Triossi and Gran Premio Continentale, all major races in his native Italy. In the fall of that year, the stallion for the first time raced outside his home country. In October, at the Daglfing track in Munich, Germany, Varenne won Preis der Besten against older and more experienced competitors. After the win in Gran Premio delle Nazioni at San Siro, Milan, Turja and company again turned their attention abroad. On December 26, Varenne wrapped up his four-year-old season by winning Prix Ariste Hémard at Vincennes, Paris. 2000 On January 30, 2000, Varenne made his first attempt to win Prix d'Amérique at Vincennes. He finished 3rd behind French horses General du Pommeau and Galopin du Ravary. In May, on his first try, he won Gran Premio della Lotteria, the biggest international Italian race. Later that month, he failed to win perhaps the most prestigious one-mile harness race in Europe - Elitloppet at Solvalla in Stockholm, Sweden. 18 races in 2000 meant 13 wins, including the European 5-year-old Championship, Olympiatravet, Gran Premio Giubileo and Gran Premio Gaetano Turilli. During the year, Varenne won World Cup Trot, a competition stretching over a number of races. He repeated the feat two years later. 2001 In 2001, Varenne took all of the top three aged harness events in Europe, as well as the biggest one in North America. It started with a victory in Prix d'Amérique on