Strong undercard for closing day at Vincennes

The Vincennes Winter Meet concluded today (March 2) in exceptional harness racing fashion led by Idao de Tillard in the Selection. The undercard was also very good with two Gr. I monte races previously reported and two Gr. III tests.

The first groupe test today was the Prix du Plateau de Gravelle (Gr. III International, purse 90,000€, 2700 meters, 12 starters ages 4-11 years) with that victory going to 2/1 odds favorite Face Time (9g Coktail Jet-Netchka d;Orgeres-Full Account) reined by trainer Matthieu Abrivard.

JPB Horses owns this winner of 23 races in 61 starts for 584,610€ earned. Louis Baudron bred the winner.

Finishing second was 14/1 Horsy Dream (7m Scipion du Goutier-Bonanza du Closet) driven by trainer Pierre Belloche for Ecurie du Closet. This horse raced with shoes on. He was once thought to be a Prix d’Amerique serious contender. Finishing third was 28/1 Desiderio d’Esi (5m Robert Bi-Tessa d’Esi) handled by Marco Stefani for trainer Marco Baroncini. Usain Toll (8g Googoo Gaagaa) was fourth at 21/1 for Banjamin Rochard and 2.3/1 Gaspar d’Angis (8g Quaro) was fifth for driver Eric Raffin.

In the final groupe race of the Winter Meet, the 10/1 odds Kaviarissime (4m Love You-Eleganissime) won the Prix Franck Anne (Gr. III, purse 90,000€, 2700 meters for four-year olds, 14 starters) timed in 1.13.3kr. Banjamin Rochard was the winning pilot for trainer Philippe Allaire and breeder/owner Frederic Sauque.

The winner now has four career wins in 19 starts for 139,270€ earned. The 1.8/1 odds favorite Keep Going (4m Follow You-Discovery Bond) was a distant second for Mathieu Mottier and owner Jose Daval with third earned by 16/1 Keynote (4m Face Time Bourbon-Fame And Fortune) driven by Alexis Collette, trained by Tomas Malmqvist and owned by Ecurie Hunter Valley. Katchia de Simm (4m Doberman) was fourth at 18/1 reined by David Thomain for owner/trainer Philippe Allaire.

Earlier in the card there were wins by Jean Pierre Barjon owned performers (actually a first and second) and a victory for Italy in the form of Lilliam Fromento and driver/trainer Alessandro Gocciadoro.

The Prix de Guer-Coetquidan (purse 52,000€, 2850 meters, 15 four-year old starters) saw SECF President Jean Pierre Barjon finish first and second. His 22/1 Erika Jet (4f Maharajah-Zehira d’Ets) was the 1.14.1kr timed winner with Leo Abrivard driving for trainer L.C. Abrivard.

This was Erica’s first win in France from seven starts for 66,916€ earned. Second was the 3.4/1 odds Kokote (4f Ready Cash-Private Love) trained and reined by Mathieu Mottier for the breeder/owner Barjon.

In the Prix d’Argentan-Sur-Creuse (purse 46,000€, 2100 meters autostart, 16 European four-year old starters) the even-money favorite Killiam Fromento (4m Villiam-Caryatide) scored timed in 1.12.1kr/ Alessandro Gocciadoro reined and trains the winner to his first win in France from two starts and now with 50,318€ in career earnings.

He brushed three wide to the front and went on to a half-length win. Scuderia Luigi Colasanti owns the winning trotteur.

Red d’Over (4g Booster Winner-Honey Walker N) was second for Eric Raffin and Suzanne Lavigne, the trainer, at 6.2/1 odds. Kaid Martin (4g Alpha Saltor) was third at 23/1 with Franck Nivard at the lines.

The aforementioned Idao de Tillard completed an exceptional Winter Meet on this he won 954,000€ for his connections.

As promised, despite rainy conditions the fans saw the great retired mares Flamme du Goutier, winner of 1,646,955€, and Delia du Pommereux with 1,893,755€ earned, for a final time, paraded on the Vincennes course. Quite a pair!!!

Next week the action shifts to Hippodrome d’Amiens on March 6 as the GNT Series commences (first leg of the Gr. III series goes for 90,000 and is raced over 2900 meters) and then on March 10 for the Cagnes sur Mer classic Grand Criterium du Vitesse de la Cote d’Azur, the Gr. I International test for a purse of 200,000€ and raced over the 1609 meters autostart distance (one mile).

Trotteur Francais, Paris-Vincennes files/photos-harness trots

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink