Art Of Line wins Prix Charlie Mills at Vincennes

The Friday opener at Paris-Vincennes was the €52,000 purse Prix Atropos raced over 2850 meters by 16 European contestants. The 1.4/1 favorite King Sir Kir (5m Make It Happen-Kings Blondie) scored, timed in 1.13.3kr for harness racing driver J-M Bazire. Fabrice Souloy is the winners’ trainer and Ecurie IC Equine AM is the owner. 10.9/1 Super Fez (5m Love You-Lucia FI) was second, driven by Gabriel Gelormini for Scuderia Cumana Group SRL and trainer H.E. Bondo. Third went to 12.6/1 Balando (5m Nijinski Blue-Quitalia) with Dominik Locqueneux driving for Alphonsee Vanberghen, the breeder/owner/trainer.

The featured Quinte+ Prix Charlie Mills (purse €65,000, 2850 meters, 15 European starters) went to impressive 1.12.9kr timed and 40.3/1 odds Art On Line (9g Rite On Line-Lass Fleur) with trainer Conrad Lugauer teaming. Team Art On Line AB of Sweden owns this winner. 1.8/1 favorite Orient Horse (8m Abano As-Irma del Rio) held for second for Pierre Levesque, trainer Thomas Levesque and owner Mme. Bruni of Italy. 53.2/1 Prince di Poggio (7m Varenne-Moon Shadow) took third for Mathieu Mottier and trainer Fabrice Souloy. Fourth was another Souloy trainee, the 2.9/1 Arazi Boko (9g Varenne-Laura Kemp) with J-M Bazire up for owner Ecurie Pirat. 10.9/1 Vanese de Mirel (7g Laetenter Dien-Melia Monochrome) was fifth with Tony LeBeller driving.

Race namesake Charlie Mills was the legendary German horseman born of an Irish horse trainer father, Anthony Mills. Mills won his first race in 1903 and influenced European trotting after WWII through the FR-bred Gelinotte that won the 1956 and 1957 Prix d’Amerique classiques, the Lotteria and the 1957 Copenhagen Cup. Earlier he won the 1934 Prix d’Amerique with US-bred Walter Dear with which he captured the 1931 and 1932 Copenhagen Cup. Mills won 4,354 races as driver/trainer/breeder.

The Prix Rouanier (purse €46,000, 2100 meters autostart, 16 starters) went to 1.13.9kr timed and 30.9/1 odds Caprice du Bission (4g Meaulnes du Corta-Pamela du Bisson) with owner/trainer Franck Anne driving. 25.5/1 Christo (4g Rieussec-Panacee) was next with trainer Michel Lenoir up for Ecurie des Amis. Third was 20.9/1 Crazy Dream (4g Repeat Love-Daisy Chain) with trainer Yves Boireau up for breeder/owner Ecurie D (Jean Pierre Dubois).

The monte Prix Homoria (purse €48,000, 2200 meters, 13 European starters) went to the 1.13.5kr timed and 18.8/1 odds Vamp Gede (7f Capriccio-Feerie Gede). Damien Bonne was in the irons. 17.3/1 Queasy (7g Donato Hanover-Marinated Herring) landed second for Guillaume Martin, trainer Ronny Kuiper and Travkompaniet Stall SB of Sweden. 1.9/1 favorite Volcan du Moulin (7g Jomo du Rib-Lune des Geneta) ralled for third.

Thomas H. Hicks