€165,000 Gran Premio Costa Azzurra

April 16, 2017 – Pacesetting Un Mec d’Heripre (9m Orlando Vici-I Love You Darling-Buvetier d’Aunou) bravely held on for harness racing reinsman Joseph Verbeeck to win Sunday’s Gran Premio Costa Azzurra (purse €165,000,1600 meters autostart) at Torino (Italy).

The Pierre Billard trainee was timed in 1.11.8kr for a nose victory over the same-timed Ringostarr Treb (7m Classic Photo-Tarsalo Egral) reined by Roberto Vecchione and Timone EK (5m Mr. Vic-Gemona) with Enrico Bellei up.

Almost three lengths back in fourth was Philippe Allaire’s Brillantissime (6m Ready Cash-Ivre de Victorie-Buvetier d’Aunou) driven by Pierre Vercruysse and rallying fifth finishing Tesoro Degli Dei (5m Igor Font-Isabella Dei-Pine Chip) for driver Pietro Gubellini.

Un Mec d’Heripre could be a starter in the 2017 Elitloppet, a race in which he performed well last year.

Thomas H. Hicks