Idao de Tillard wins Bourgogne

Idao de Tillard (6m Severino-America de Tillard-First de Retz) returned to this successful following form to win the Prix de Bourgogne (Gr. II International – Amerique Q5, purse 120,000€, 2100 meters autostart, 18 harness racing starters with one scratch ages 4-10) timed in 1.09.8kr.

Off at 2.7/1 odds the Clement Duvaldestin reined, Cyril Sylvestre owned, Thierry Duvaldestin trained champion won for the 32nd time in 46 career starts for 2,394,660€ earned. He followed 2.8/1 Go On Boy (8m Password-Balginette) into upper stretch and pulled mid-stretch to gain the advantage. Go On Boy was a solid second for trainer/driver Romain Derieux and Ecurie Nixonn. Justin Bold (5m Bold Eagle-Udine) was third at 65/1 for Mathieu Mottier, trainer J.R. Delliaux and Ecurie du Damier.

Hokkaido Jiel (7m Brillantissime) was fourth at 16/1 with David Thomain up (he is already Amerique qualified) followed by Oracle Tile (8m Ready Cash) at 36/1, Josh Power (already qualified, 5m Offshore Dream-Balginette) at 30/1 and seventh finishing Ideal Ligneries (6m Repeat Love) at 40/1.

Don Fanucci Zet was first off the car and set a wicked pace (1.04.7kr with 1500 to go; 1.07.5kr with 1000 meters remaining) before weakening when confronted by rivals including Inmarosa (unplaced at the end) and Hussard de Landret (finished eighth).

To view the race replay, click here.

The Amerique qualifiers follow – 12 qualified to date

Bretagne – Hussard du Landret, San Moteur, Hooker Berry, Just Love You

Bourbonnais – Josh Power, Emeraude de Bais, Hokkaido Jiel, Fakir de Mahey

Criterium Continental – Keep Going

Tenor de Baune – Just Love You (qua in Bretagne)

Bourgogne – Idao de Tillard, Go On Boy, Juston Bold, Hokkaido Jiel (qua. in Bourbonnais)

One “B” race remains along with the monte classic Prix de Cornulier (January 19) before the Prix d’Amerique on Sunday January 26. Idao de Tillard won the ’24 Amerique timed in 1.11.6kr and Hooker Berry scored in the Amerique ’23 clocked in 1.11.7kr. The race record of 1.10.8kr was set in 2021 by Face Time Bourbon lowering the 1.11.2kr mark previously set by Bold Eagle in ’17 and Readly Express in ’18.

Trotteur Francais, Paris-Vincennes files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink