Lexie de Banville, Lucky Sibey win Groupe Monte Tests at Vincennes

The Prix Ali Hawas (Gr. II monte, purse 120,000€, 2700 meters, 10 three-year-old fillies contesting the Etrier 3Ans Q2) at Paris-Vincennes in the PV first card after the Winter Meet, and it started today’s monte action.

The 10/1 odds Lexie de Banville (3f Real de Lou-Cannebriere-Orlando Vici) scored timed in 1.14.2kr with Adrien Lamy the jockey. Thomas Levesque trains and owns this one as she won for the second time in six outings now for 86,880€ earned.  The 1.2/1 odds favorite Little Orelie (3f Feeling Cash) was second beaten three lengths ridden by trainer Mathieu Mottier for proprietor Luc Vanderhaegen. Lili Boy (3f Goetmals Wood) took third at 27/1 odds with Damien Bonne the jockey for Sebastien Guarato, training for Ecurie Dry. Let Me Shine Gio (3f Face Time Bourbon) was fourth at 5.2/1 for jockey Eric Raffin, trainer Guarato and Scuderia Bivans Srl.

The Paul Felicien Gauvreau (Gr.II monte, purse 120,000€, 2700 meters, nine starters Etrier 3AnsQ1 males) went to 1.6/1 odds favorite Lucky Sibey (3m Etonnant-Urtica Lotoise) in rein to jockey Eric Raffin for trainer J.M. Baudouin and owner J.T. Freyssenge. Sibey recorded his third career win in six starts for 112,110€. Love And Sun (3m Carat Williams-Niemana Oldeson) was second at 7.8/1 for Paul Philippe Ploquin the jockey for L.C. Abrivard and Jacques Rattina the owner. Lunik du Choquel (3m Bird Parker-Calinka du Choquel) was a distant third for Francois Lagadeuc and conditioner Nicolas Bridault, Lucky Cristal at 63/1 and 82/1 Larc du Ciel completed the top five to the line.

Earlier on the card Jean Michel Bazire drove, and trains, 2.1/1 odds Lorene d’Aveze (3f Sam Bourbon-Tessy d’Aveze) to victory in the Prix Idunna (purse 40,000€, 2850 meters, three-year-old fillies) timed in 1.14.8kr. Bazire led the Vincennes Winter Meet as trainer with 61 victories and 2,499,520€ in earnings.

In other personnel news the exceptional jockey David Thomain retired as jockey after 20 years and 584 wins, 61 of these groupe level races and nine being Gr. I scores. He continues as driver.

Legends work continued at Hippodrome de Wallonie (Mons Ghlin Belgium) as Jos Verbeeck piloted back-to-back winners for trainer Filip Ghekiere. Jos won with Sixth Semse E (3f From Above-Celestial Boko) in 1.17.8kr in the Prix la Perle d’Espoir over 2300 meters autostart. The 1.7/1 odds winner now has two straight wins. Verbeeck came right back to win the Prix la Perle de Lao Tzu with 1.6/1 Radinka Vrijthout (4f Nuncio-Armbro Groenhof) timed in 1.16.2kr over 2300 meters autostart. This one also won her second straight and is 3-2-0 in her last five. Verbeeck, the Belgium Devil Legend, drove four Prix d’Amerique winners – Sea Cove in 1994, Abo Volo in 1997, Dryade des Bois in 1998 and Abano As in 2003. The great Sea Cove was a wire to wire impressive winner, that one bred in Canada by Mac Cuddy.

Vincennes, Trotteur Francais, PMU, Hippo Wallonie, ATG files/photos-harness trots

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink