The trotting weeks action in France

April 20, 2018 – Harness racing action Tuesday evening at Paris-Vincennes included the Prix Henrietta (purse €60,000, 2850 meters, 12 starters) with the 1.15.7kr victory earned by 1.8/1 Everest Vedaquais (4g Ready Cash-Spandelle) with Yoann Lebourgeois up for owner/trainer Philippe Allaire. J.P. Guay was this one’s breeder.

The same card also featured the monte Gr. III Prix Cornelia (purse €85,000, 2850 meters, 10 starters). 12/1 Caduceas des Baux (6g Mark Speed-Frestina des Baux) scored for Matthieu Abrivard and breeder/owner Jack Dowie. 10/1 Union de Bellar was second for Yoann Lebourgeois and 2.3/1 Bohemian Rhapsody was third for Camille Levesque.

Wednesday’s Q+ was at Pontchateau in the Prix de la Ville de Pontchateau (purse €40,000, 2800 meters 18 starters). 25/1 Bemnde Torvic (7g Jag de Bellouet-Roche du Chatelet) scored for J.Ph. Monclin timed in 1.14.9kr. Stephane Meunier trains the winner for Ecurie Auemath. Chasing the winner were 12/1 Actrice Revee and 8.2/1 Baccarat de Niro.

Thursday action at Enghien included the featured monte Prix de Fumel (purse €51,000, 2875 meters, nine starters) and 4.3/1 Diamant de Larre (5g Magificent Rodney-Rose de Larre) scored for Matthieu Abrivard, trainer Sylvain Roger and Ecurie la Petteviniere. 9/1 Daelia de Vandel took second for Alexandre Abrivard, ahead of 3.7/1 Deauville with Guillaume Martin in the irons.

Evening action returned to Paris-Vincennes on Friday. The Prix Alethia (purse €75,000, 2850 meters, 12 starters) went to the 1.12.1kr quick timed and 7/10  favorite Ble du Gers (7g Quinoa du Gers-Moorea) handled by trainer Jean Michel Bazire for owner Ecurie J.M. Rancoule. 3.4/1 Cicero Noa (6g Mandarino Blue) was second for Pierre Vercruysse and third was 23/1 Vicomte de Corveil (8g Orlando Vici) wit Franck Nivard up.

The Vincennes card also included the Q+ Prix Neptuna (purse €54,000, 2850 meters, 18 starters) and 1.8/1 Cadix (6f Ready Cash-Mazurka) scored timed in 1.14.2kr for driver Alain Laurent and Ecurie Cheffreville. 8.7/1 Belle d’Hermes (7f Quinoa du Gers) was second for reinsman Franck Nivard and 14/1 Capucine d’Avril (6f Lets Go Along) took the third spot for Franck Ourvrie.The Prix Clarisse (purse €72,000, 2100 meters autostart, 10 European starters) closed out the evening top action and 4.1/1 Delloro Vedaquais (5g Ready Cash-Spandelle) scored for J.Ph. Monclin, owner/trainer Philippe Allaire and the breeder was J.P. Guay. Race time was 1.12.7kr. The winners’ dam is a daughter of Look de Star-Jupilles-Corot, a career winner of €79250, and with Workaholic and Florestan in the maternal family. 19/1 Ducato Bourbon (5m Love You-Kamera Bourbon) was second for Franck Nivard driving the Franck Leblanc trainee for Ecurie Siray. 10/1 Gilda Newport (5f Donato Hanover-Color Schemes) was third for trainer/driver Dion P. Tesselaar.

This week the 33 year old driver/trainer/owner Matthieu Abrivard won victory #2000 with Charmeuse Royale at Vincennes. Abrivard has record 14 groupe I victories in his brief career, both monte and sulky.

Au trot monté :

4 Prix de Cornulier 2004, 2005, 2006 (Jag de Bellouet), 2017 (Bellissima France)

2 Prix des Centaures en 2004 (Mon Jeu Diam), 2016 (Athéna de Vandel)

2 Prix de Normandie en 2010 (Rombaldi), 2016 (Bellissima France)

Prix du Président de la République en 2009 (Rombaldi)

Prix d’Essai en 2015 (Carlos des Caux)

Au trot attelé :

2 Critérium Continental 2012 (Un Mec d’Héripré) et 2017 (Doria Desbois)

Prix de Paris 2010 (Private Love)

Prix Albert Viel 2017 (Eros du Chêne)

Thomas H. Hicks