64,000€ Prix de Craon at Vincennes

December 25, 2018 – Christmas Day harness racing is a tradition at Paris-Vincennes and this day the featured race was the Quinte+ Prix de Craon (purse 64,000€, 2700 meters, 17 European starters).

Victory was earned by the 3/5 favorite Valokaja Hindo (7m Great Challenger-Hindo Enghave) reined by trainer Jean Michel Bazire to his sixth win in eight starts in France. Norway’s Eirik Djuve owns the winner that now has earned 260,304€ for the career. Race time was 1.13.7kr. Second was the longshot 42/1 Tesauro (6g Filipp Roc-Iniziale) for Alexandre Abrivard with third to 31/1 Cash du Rib (6g Ready Cash-Quille Castelets) handled by the trainer J.L.Cl. Dersoir. 21/1 Carlo de Carsi handled by Gabriele Gelormini and 11/1 Candidat d’Ortige with David Thomain up completed the top five, with the exact order 2€ ticket paying 7,155.60€ to the winning ticket holders.

The co-featured Prix de Mareanes-Oleron (purse 64,000€, 2700 meters, 12 starters) saw the 6.8/1 Dream de Lasserie (5g Orlando Vici-Rumba Vinoiz) emerge victorious timed in 1.14.9kr and teamed by trainer Romain Derieux. Ecurie Daidou owns the winner that now sports career earnings of 192,700€. 7/2 odds Darlington Park (5g Orlando Vici-Inrosa Girl) was second for Jean Michel Bazire, with third to the 3.9/1 Dorado Bello (5g Pas d’Urzy) reined by Gabriele Gelormini.

Other interesting winners on the Vincennes card were 3.2/1 Fever (3f Rolling d’Heripre-Truly Loved) timed in 1.15kr in the 2100 meter autostart Prix du Merlerault for a purse of 52,000€. This filly scored her fourth win in six appearances, today with Franck Nivard up. The two-year olds contested the Prix de Begonias (purse 35,000€, 2700 meters, 13 starters) and the 1.16.5kr timed victory went to 4.8/1 Guillermo Sport (2m Orlando Sport-Quoda Josselyn) with owner P.J. Pascual Lavarchy driving for trainer M.X. Mestra Suner. Gewani du Bocago (2m Bird Parker-Omaha) was second for driver David Thomain and owner/trainer Philippe Allaire. Grand Art (2m Prodigious-Real Artist) took third for Jean Philippe Dubois.

At Son Pardo (Espagne) was held the Gran Premi d’Esques (purse 12.000€, 2150 meters autostart, 11 three year olds) and the 2.3/1 odds Francina JS (3f Quatrain-Penelope Cr.F) scored timed in 1.18.4kr for Cuadra Sa Marina Slu.

Thomas H. Hicks