Belgique field set; Floreal wins Prix de la Cote d’Azur

The final field of 18 is set for Sunday’s Gr. II Prix de Belgique, the sixth and final harness racing qualifier for the Prix d’Amerique on January 28. See below.

The qualifying horses pre-Belgique follow.

Bretagne – Hussard du Landret, Hooker Berry, Hokkaido Jiel

Bourbonnais – San Moteur, Izoard Vedaquais, Gu d’Heripre

Bourgogne – Gu d’Heripre, Emeraude de Bais, Ampia Mede SM

Criterium Continental – Jushua Tree

Tenor de Baune – Idao de Tillard

San Moteur is reported out of the Amerique due to injury and Vivid Wise As and Etonnant dropped out of the Belgique due to health issues.

Today (Jan. 11) at Cagnes sur Mer was the Prix de la Cote d’Azur (purse 130,000€, Gr. III International, 2925 meters distance handicap, 16 starters ages 5-11) the 9/1 odds Floreal (9g Up And Quick-Vaganova-Neoh Jiel) rallied late to victory for trainer/driver Robin Bouvier.

Charles Bouvier owns this 15-time winner from 79 starts for earnings of 301,680€. Race time was 1.13.1kr.

Finishing second was Ideal du Rocher (6g Clif du Pommereux-Vanille de Bolero) with Francois Lagadeuc aboard for trainer/owner Charley Mottier. The 2.5/1 odds and 25-meter handicapped Eric The Eel (8m Muscle Hill-Laurel America-Varenne) was third for Franck Nivard and trainer Tomas Malmqvist. Echo de Chanlecy (10g Quinoa du Gers) at 39/1 and 36/1 Douglas du Pont (11g Real de Lou) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

To watch the race replay, click here.

Le Trot, Cagnes sur Mer, Prix Amerique files/photos-harness trots

by Thomas H Hicks, for Harnesslink