400,000€ Prix de France goes to the mare

Today’s (Feb. 12) Gr. I Prix de France (purse 400,000€, 2100 meters autostart The Speed Race, Leg 2 of UET Elite Circuit, 18 starts age 4-11) drew a large audience and they were treated to a great harness racing classic.

Harness racing driver Franck Nivard expertly teamed 5.1/1 Ampia Mede SM (7f Ganymede-Polimpia Slide SM) to the front in mid-stretch and held gamely for a narrow victory. This Fabrice Souloy trainee is owned by Scuderia SE Fin and she recorded victory number 15 and advanced her life earnings to 1,113,096€.

Parked first-over for the last half mile, Ampia Mede SM was able to grind it out until taking the lead in mid stretch, and then held off Vivid Wise As to win by a slim neck.

Vivid Wise As (9m Yankee Glide-Temple Blue Chip) rallied late at 12/1 odds and just missed second with Matthieu Abrivard up for Scuderia Bivans Srl and trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro. Hohneck (6m Royal Dream-Caranca) was the 13/1 third for Francois Lagadeuc and owner/trainer Philippe Allaire.

36/1 Delia du Pommereux (10f Niky), 2/1 pacesetter Don Fanucci Zet (7m Hard Livin), 6.2/1 Horsy Dream (6m Scipion du Goutier) and 7.3/1 Hooker Berry (6m Booster Winner), the Prix d’Amerique winner, trailed the top three to the line in that order. Race time was 1.10.2kr off fast even fractions (1.09.9kr with 1500 meters remaining; 1.09.3kr at the 1000; 1.10.4kr with 500 to go).

There were six miscue dq’s that included Vernissage Grif and Beads, who also broke while warming up.

To watch the race replay, click here.

On the undercard, the Prix Louis Le Bourg (Gr. II, purse 120,000€, 2850 meters for four-year-olds) went to 1.13.2kr timed J’Adore (4f  Goetmals Wood) with Alexis Collette in the irons for trainer Pierre Belloche. This was her first win in France and increased her career earnings to 131,050.

In the Prix Ovide Moulinet (Gr. II, purse 120,000€, 2700 meters for five-year-olds) the highly favored Idao de Tillard (5m Severino) scored in 1.14.8kr for trainer Thierry Duvaldestin and owner Cyril Sevestre. Clement Duvaldestin teamed this winner to his 19^th career victory good for 920,930€ earned.

LeTrot files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink