Lovino Bello, Keep Going win €300,000 Criterium finals

What a harness racing program this was today. The Criterium des 3 Ans (Gr. I, purse 300,000€, 2700 meters voltstart, 15 starters all three year olds) saw 4.9/1 odds Lovino Bello (3m Village Mystic-Louvina Bella) score timed in 1.13.1kr with Eric Raffin aboard for trainer  Jocelyn Robert. Sandrine Robert owns this six time winner in 14 starts that was bred by Remi Boucret.

This winner now sports career earnings of 420,895€. The even-money favorite Lombok Jiel (3m Enino du Pommereux-Surmbaya Jiel) was a competitive second reined by P-Y Verva for Ecurie Luck and its trainer J.L. Dersoir.

Third home was 23/1 Lotta Bourbon (3f Prodigious-Vita Bourbon) that Sebastien Guarato trains and Anthony Barrier reined for Ecurie du Haras de Saint Martin.

The top five was completed by 38/1 fourth finishing Luciano Menuet (3m Feliciano) with Yoann Lebourgeois up and 61/1 Louisiane de Bomo (3g Ready Cash) that ended fifth with Benjamin Rochard aboard.

For the replay, click here.

Next up was the Criterium des 4 Ans (Gr. I, purse 300,000€, 2850 meters voltstart, 18 starters four year olds open) and it produced a wild blanket finish where 21/1 odds outsider Keep Going (4m Follow You-Discovery Bond) prevailed timed in 1.12.5kr.

Eric Raffin teamed this Mathieu Mottier trainee for Jose Davet who owns the now eight time career winner in 21 starts. This colt was bred by Jean Philippe Dubois and he now owns 374,420€ in career earnings.

The next two finishers were also timed in 1.12.5kr and they were 2.8/1 Koctel du Dain (4m Boccador de Simm-Ophelie) with David Thomain up for trainer/owner Philippe Allaire and 4.6/1 Ksar (4m Follow You-Tes Amours) handed by Matthieu Abrivard for Emmanuel Varin the trainer/owner of the Jean Pierre Dubois bred
trotteur.

Keen Winner (4f Ready Cash) was fourth at 7/1 and fifth home was 78/1 Khal’s Fella (4m Ready Cash). The 5.3/1 Krack Time Atout finished eighth.

For the replay, click here.

Later the Prix de Denain (purse 59,000€, 2100 meters autostart, 15 European starters ages 7-11) saw 1.7/1 odds favorite High Propulsion (7f Ludo de Castelle-Sweet Pearl) score in 1.11.3kr with Eric Raffin teaming the Jean Luc Bigeon trainee for owner/breeder  Joel Seche. Raffin won three straight with this victory.

This was the winners’ ninth career victory in 42 starts for 228,880€ earned. Harmony du Rabutin (7f Royal Dream) was second at 3.1/1 odds for driver J.Ph. Monclin and trainer Guillaume Richard Huguet. Third home was 30/1 outsider Feel Smart (9f Rolling d’Heripre) with Damien Bonne handling the Michel Bizoux trainee.

Trotteur Francais, Paris-Vincennes files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink