Face Time Bourbon wins again

Face Time Bourbon (6m Ready Cash-Vita Bourbon-Love You) easily took the prestigious St Michel Ajo (total purse 142,000€ with 80,000€ first prize, 1609 meters autostart) this day after a heavy rainstorm affected the track condition at Mikkeli, Finland.

Race time was 1.09.7kr over what is considered one of fastest layouts in Europe.

Eric Raffin was the winning pilot for Sebastien Guarato and owner Scuderia Bivans Srl.

FTB won for the 32^nd time in 38 career starts and increased his career earnings to 2,993,940€. Raffin took FTB away slowly and wax sixth on the outer before easily up and to the front after 600 meters.

Off at 1.2/1 he then drew away in the final bend. Next Direction (8g Orlando Vici) was second for Iikka Normonen and rail sitting Billie de Montfort was third for Gabriele Gelormini.

Next up for FTB is reportedly the GP de Wallonie at Mons on August 1 and then the GP Lotteria at Naples on October 3.

On the undercard was a four year old race for a total purse of 24,000€ with 10,000€ to the winner.

Here, Raffin scored again with Hede Darling (4m Password-Queen Darling-Coktail Jet) that J.P. Dubois owns and J.A. Hernandez-Navarro trains. Race time was 1.12.4kr over a rain-soaked surface as Hede Darling won his sixth lifetime now for 163,130€ earned.

LeTrot, Mikkeli files

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink