Three-year-olds on display at Vincennes

The Friday (April 21) Vincennes program showcased two groupe level harness racing events for three-year-olds.

The Prix Atlas (Gr. III purse 70,000€, 2175 meters, three-year-old males national) produced a narrow victory for 1.5/1 odds Ksar (3m Follow You-Tes Amours) reined by Matthieu Abrivard for owner/trainer Emmanuel Varin who acquired this one from breeder Jean Pierre Dubois at the Amerique winter sale for 470,000€.

He subsequently won the Gr. III Prix Leopold Verroken at Vincennes. This was the winner’s fourth career win now for 112,430€ earned. Race time was 1.12.5kr as Ksar defeated the 4.6/1 Kaiser River (3m Bold Eagle) with Benjamin Rochard aboard for trainer Sebastian Guarato and breeder/owner Gerard Manzi. Third was 1.7/1 Kreack Time Atout (3m Face Time Bourbon-Topaze d’Atout-Coktail Jet) with David Thomain up for trainer Guarato.

In the Gr. II Prix Aschera (purse 70,000€, 2175 meters, three-year-old females national) the 1.13.8kr timed winner was 8/1 odds Kabaka de Guez (3f Eridan-Armess de Guez) reined and trained by Jean Michel Bazire for breeder/owner Ecurie Vautors. This was her third career victory now for 88,560€in life earnings.

The 1.2/1 favorite Kaline d’Atout (3f Dijon) was second for driver Francois Lecanu and trainer/owner Thierry Raffegeau. Third to the line was Katchina de Simm (3f Doberman) in rein to David Thomain for trainer/owner Philippe Allaire.

While not a groupe contest the Prix Aletheis (purse 90,000€, 2850 meters for 6–10-year-olds) was nonetheless a quality race that 7.1/1 Gamay de L’Iton (7m Bird Parker-Story de L’Iton) won in 1.12.4kr with Francois Lagadeuc driving for trainer Hughes Levesque and breeder/owner Ecurie de L’Iton. Gamay secured his 13^th career victory and advanced his earnings to 456,980€.

Happy Valley (6f Royal Dream-Mysterious Valley) was a distant second for pilot Jean Philippe Dubois, trainer Philippe Moulin and Ecurie Victoria Dreams. She was off as the 1.4/1 favorite. Third was 11/1 Goeland d’Haufor (7h Voltigeur de Myrt) handled by Damien Bonne for owner/breeder/trainer Christian Bigeon.

The same evening at Marseille Pont A Vivaux saw the Prix des Combels (purse 22,000€, 2650 meters for three year olds) go to 1.18.1kr timed and 2.4/1 odds Kevert (3m Carat Williams-Encore Plus) win for the first time in his career with David Bekaert driving for trainer J.A. Hernandez-Navarro and owner Jean Pierre Dubois.

LeTrot, Paris-Vincennes, Marseille Pont A Vivaux files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink