Major stakes held Saturday at Vincennes

With the 400,000€ Prix de France test of speed Sunday at the Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes, the track still had a major stakes filled harness racing program on Saturday.

Juliet Papa Bravo (4f Ready Cash-Un Lady En Or-Kaisy Dream-Orelady) rallied late as a 7.6/1 outsider to take the Gr. II Prix Ephrem Houel (purse 120,000€, 2100 meters autostart, four-year-olds) at Paris-Vincennes.

Clement Duvaldestin was aboard for trainer Thierry Duvaldestin and breeder/owner J.P. Barjon. The maternal family is that of J.P. Dubois. The winner now has five career wins for 217,850€ earned. Race time was a solid 1.11.3 off even fractions.

The 21/1 odds Joyner Sport (4m Dollar Macker-Carla du Padoueng) was a game second with David Thomain up for owner/trainer Philippe Allaire. Jag Stryck (4m Bretigny) held third for Francois Lagadeuc with Jazzy Perrine (4f Django Riff) third with Eric Raffin at the lines.

On the undercard was the monte Prix de Lisieux (purse 75,000€, 2850 meters for European 7–11-year-olds) and 12/1 odds Esperanza Idol (9f Quido du Goutier-Fan Idol) was a back-to-back winner, this time advancing late on the pegs. The now 14-time career winner was handled by jockey J-Y Ricart for trainer Noel Langlois as she increased her earnings to 439,380€. Race time was 1.13.2kr.

The 4.4/1 Fakir de L’Ecluse (8g Chef du Chatalet) was second for jockey Alexandre Abrivard and 2.3/1 Filwell (8g Qwerty) was third with Camille Levesque his jockey for breeder/owner/trainer Pierre Levesque.

to the winner’s dam Fan Idol, she won 43 times for 2,184,369€ earned with a record of 1.09.8kr. In the years 2000-2002 she was one of the world’s top fee-for-all trotteurs. In 2002 she won the Trot Mondial defeating Varenne and she won the Prix de France. In the years 2001 and 2000 she was second in the Prix d’Amerique and won the Prix de Belgique, Prix de Bretagne, Prix du Luxembourg and Prix de L’Atlantique and many others. She was a favorite of mine as is this daughter.

Today’s Prix de Munich (purse 90,000€, 2100 meters autostart, European 6–11-year-olds) was a great competitive contest from start to finish with the victory earned by 5.3/1 odds Hokkaido Jiel (6m Brillantissime-Victory Jiel) reined by David Thomain.

This was the winner’s 10^th career win now for 472,380€ earned. Jean Luc Dersoir trains this one for Ecurie Luck. Race time was 1.10.4kr off steady quick fractions.

The Dersoir/Ecurie Luck team also finished second with 13/1 Elite de Jiel (9f Niky) with Francois Lagadeuc in the irons. Third home was 7.8/1 Usain Toll (7g Googoo Gaagaa-Cotton Waste) with Matthieu Abrivard the pilot for Scuderia Santese Srl. Deese Noir was fourth at 103/1 and 4.9/1 Emeraude de Baid was fifth.

Earlier in the monte Prix de Rambouillet (purse 57,000€, 2175 meters for 8–10-year-olds) the 6.8/1 odds Elvis Madji (9g Sun Ceravin) scored easily in a quick 1.10.8kr off a fast pace (1.08.4kr at the 1500 meters to go mark; 1.09.1kr at the 1000; 1.10.3kr with 500 remaining). Alexandre Abrivard was the winning jockey for trainer Yann Lorin and owner D.C. Delaunay. Elvis Madji won for the 11^th time in his career now for 129,060€ earned. The time demolished the winner’s career best 1.13.6kt coming into this contest. Firos was a distant second at 4.7/1 and 10/1 Falcao de Chenu was third.

LeTrot files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink