February 23, 2017 – 14 upper class international harness racing trotters appeared at Vincennes for today’s Gr. II Prix de Plateau de Gravelle (purse €110,000, 2100 meters autostart and this competitive Quinte+ contest went to 1.12.1kr clocked and 55.1/1 odds Timone EK (5m Mr. Vic-Gemona) with J-Ph Monclin up. Fractions were quick from the outset (1.06.6kr at 1500 to go; 1.09.3kr at the 1000; 1.12kr with 500 remaining). Luigi Lottieri of Italy owns the Ph. Billard trainee. 274/1 Orione Degli Dei (9g Conway Hall-Elissa Dei) was second for driver Roberto Andreghetti, owner Scuderia Bologna 2011 and trainer Ph. Billard. 16/1 Ave Avis (7m Kesaco Phedo-Magna Avis) took third for trainer/driver J-M Bazire. 28/1 Rod Stewart (7m Love You-Valley Lane) was fourth reined by Franck Ouvrie for trainer Jerry Riordan and Italy’s Graziano Ceccaroni, the owner. 130/1 Sugar Rey (6m Look de Star-Aurora Boreale) was placed fifth due to disqualification of Indigious and Franck Nivard. Sugar Rey was teamed by Pietro Gubellini for trainer H.E. Bondo and Italy’s owner Ecurie Tre Cer. The 3/10 favorite Propulsion was a miscue dq, as was United Back.
The opening activity today was the Prix des Pas Nordiques (purse €20,000, 2100 meters autostart, 12 International coldblood starters) and the 2.3/1 favorite Smedsbo Faksen (6m Jarvsofaks-Kjostad Besta) scored in 1.23.9kr for Bjorn Goop, trainer Jan-Olav Persson and owner Travakademien-Easy of Sweden. This son to legendary Jarvsofaks, perhaps the greatest trotting horse ever, easily bested
10.8/1 Wik Emil (9m Lome Elden-Mille N), a distant second, ahead of third finishing and 2.4/1 Finnskog Fokus and Gunnar Austevoll.
Speed Delicious (7m Fast Photo-Ala Delicious), racing barefoot, scored a 1.14.7kr timed victory in the Prix du Cantal (purse €90,000, 2850 meters, 18 Eiuropean starters) for driver Franck Nivard at 4.3/1 odds. Sweden’s Mattias Luduigssun owns this Ph. Billard trainee. 37.7/1 Monas Invercote (8f Viking Kronos-Monas Speranza) was second with Dominik Locqueneux up for trainer Bjorn Good and Stall Timotej AB and Ove Bergkin of Sweden. 23.8/1 Romi Mms (7f Turbo Sund-Goldy LB) was third for Mathieu Mottier. This invader from Austria and Hungary racing is owned by Mitja Slavic (Croatia) and now trained by Ph. Billard. Super Fez was fourth for Pietro Gubellini.
Thomas H. Hicks
