€90,000 Grand National du Trot

March 28, 2018 – Wednesday’s second leg of the Gr.III Grand National du Trot Paris-Turf (purse €90,000, 3000 meters distance handicap, 16 starters) went to 7/10 favorite Cleangame (6g Ouregon de Celland-Red Bell) that overcame a 25 meter penalty to win for Alexandre Abrivard, trainer J-M Bazire and owner Ecurie J-M Rancoule.

Cleangame recorded his fifth straight win (and 14th in 26 lifetime starts) and now has career earnings of €340,970. 

6.1/1 Colonel Bond (6g Revel d’Anama-Miss Margaretta) took second for Pierre Vercruysse, ahead of 24/1 Creature Castelets (6g Pomerol de Laumac-Tragical Song) for driver J.Ch. Feron. 15/1 and 25 meter handicapped Caly Loulou (6f Gazouillis) and 13/1 Barone de Bapre (7f Prodigious) completed the Quinte+ top five.

The Q+ exact order payoff for a €2 wager was €961.20.

Four year olds battled in the Prix de Cassis (purse €22,000, 3000 meters distance handicap, 14 starters) with victory earned by 2/1 Eucalyptus du Mont (4g Sam Bourbon-Qualinda du Donjon) timed in 1.17.5kr and overcoming a 25 meter handicap. Matthieu Abrivard teamed the Yves Boireau trainee for owner Guillaume Macaire that was bred by Jean Etienne Dubois. This winner record his second straight score and fourth of his career now for €60,310 earned. 23/1 Evasonn (4m Sam Bourbon-Unisella) was second for David Bekaert and third was 7/1 Emeraude Turgot (4f Look de Star) for trainer/driver Y-A Briand.

Three years olds were at the start in the Prix de Cavaillon (purse €22,000, 2300 meters autostart, nine starters) with victory to 1.1/1 favorite Fabulous Wood (3m Ready Cash-Qualita Bourbon) reined by Matthieu Abrivard for trainer Yves Boireau and breeder/owner Jean Pierre Dubois . This colt recorded victory number three in four career starts for €28,290 earned. 39/1 Flower Wood (3f Jasmin de Flore-Usha Dream) took second for David Bekaert and the Boireau/JPD team. 19/1 First In Love (3m Goetmals Wood-Just In Love) took third for trainer/driver Loris Garcia.

The aforementioned winner’s dam, Qualita Bourbon (Love You-Etta Extra-Florestan), was quite a performer herself with 21 wins good for €1,538,050 earned and numerous major victories – At 3, Winner of Criterium des Jeunes, Prix de l'Etoile, Prix Roquépine, second in Criterium des 3 ans. At 4, Winner of Prix de Sélection, Criterium Continental, Grand Prix de l'U.E.T., third in Criterium des 4 ans. At 5, third in Prix d'Amerique. Interestingly, the dam of second finishing Flower Wood is a daughter of Goetmals Wood-Island Dream. Island Dream won €555,994 and produced Infinitif, Not Disturb, Viva Island and Cote Ouest.

The monte Prix des Caves Saint Marc de Caromb (purse €23,000, 2400 meters, 17 European starters) went to 1.15.2kr timed and 7/1 odds Paris Roc (9f Offshore Dream-Imperial Roc) ridden Santo Mollo for trainer Fausto Barelli and owner Scuderia Sant Eusebio.

This evening at Wolvega was the Championnat des Trotters Francias (purse €10,000, 2600 meters autostart, eight starters). 1/5 favorite Cocktail du Biwetz (6g Coktail Jet-Olga du Biwetz) scored timed in 1.16.1kr in the rain for driver Jaap Van Rijn and owner Dragon Trotters BV.

The winner’s dam was a legend in FR trotting by Cezio Josselyn, she winner and placed in the classics – At 5, third in Europeiskt Femåringschampionat. At 6, Winner of Grand Prix de Wallonie, Prix de Bretagne, Prix d'Eté, second in Criterium de Vitesse de Basse Normandie, Prix de Cornulier, Prix du Bourbonnais, Prix René Ballière, third in Prix de Bourgogne. At 7, Winner of Prix d'Eté, second in Prix de l'Atlantique, Prix de l'Union Europeenne, third in Grand Prix du Sud Ouest, Prix Kerjacques. At 8, second in Prix de Bourgogne. At 9, Winner of Prix de Cornulier, third in Prix d'Amerique.

She retired with 25 career wins and €2,208,795 earned in fine style after her nine year old season that finished with a good effort in the Prix de France and a third in the Prix d’Amerique after a week earlier win in the Prix de Cornulier. What a game, great gaited mare she was.

This evening at Wolvega was also site of a driving triple by trainer Dion P. Tesselaar behind 1.16.3kr timed Hollywood Star (9f Quick Wood-Zafiro Action), 1.15.2kr clocked Hummer Scott (4f Love You-Tantivy Kievitshof, and 1.16.4kr timed Flavius (6g Pegasus Boko-Yemaya).

Thomas H. Hicks