Iroise de la Noe takes Prix de Belgique

Thomas Levesque drove his trained and owned harness racing mare Iroise de la Noe (7f Tornado Bello-Pollenza  de la Noe) to front trotting victory in today’s Prix de Belgique-Amerique Q6 (Gr. II International, purse 120,000€, 2850 meters,15 starters ages 4-11) at Paris-Vincennes timed in 1.12.1kr.

Off at 4.3/1 odds  the winner now has two wins and three seconds in her last five outings.

She was second in the GNT Finale on December 1st.  Iroise has 11 wins in 25 career starts now for 340,900€ earned. She earned an Amerique ticket in two weeks as did the next three finishers.

Thomas Levesque’s father Pierre won three Amerique’s with Offshore Dream twice as trainer/driver and once as trainer with Meaulnes du Corta  and  these were back to back in 2007 through 2009. The 18/1 Ideal Ligneries (7m Repeat Love-Ouragame) was second with Jean Philippe Monclin the driver/trainer for Roger Wittmann. He was third in the GNT Finale.

Home third was 5.4/1 Hooker Berry (8m Booster Winner-Osaka Berry), a former Amerique winner, driven by trainer Nicolas Bazire for Michel Aldenise. The 1.4/1 odds favorite  It’s A Dollarmaker (7mSaxo de Vandel-Salt Lake City) ended fourth driven by Matthieu Abrivard for Sebastien Guarato training for Gianni Fascella. The 12/1 Inmaross was fifth ahead of 9/1 Don Fanucci Zet  and 22/1 Ampia Mede SM.

To view the replay, click here. 

With the four Amerique ticket winners today (one already ticketed – Hooker Berry) there are now 15 total tickets earned and three more to be assigned: Iroise de la Noe, Ideal Ligneries, Hooker Berry, It’s a Dollarmaker, San Moteur, Idao de Tillard, Keep Going, Go On Boy, Fakir de Mahey, Hokkaido Jiel, Hussard de Landret, Emeraude de Bais, Just Love You, Justin Bold and Josh Power.

Earlier today the Prix Djerid (monte, Gr.  III, purse 90,000€, 2700 meters, 10 European starters ages 6-11) went to 1.5/1 odds Impala de Val (7g Viking de Val-Axelle du Noyer) timed in 1.13.1kr with jockey Benjamin Rochard in the irons for trainer P.E. Mary and Ecurie JP and Company. Impala now has 16 career wins in 40 starts for 314,040€ earned. The 9/1 Hidalgo des Noes was second for Anthony Barrier and 1.9/1 second choice Filou d’Anjoui took third for Marine Beudard.

Trotteur Francais, Paris-Vincennes files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink