Koala Blue takes Q+ Saint-Etienne at Caen

The 1.5/1odds favorite Koala Blue (6g  Village  Mystic-Baltic Sea-Goetmals Wood) was a coast to  coast winner  of the  Prix  de Saint-Etienne (quinte+, purse 35,000€, 2450 meters distance handicap,  14 starters ages 8-11) driven by Alexandre Abrivard.

Timed in 1.13.5kr, the now six time career winner has earned 165,455€. Maxime Guyon owns this  Louis  Baudron trainee.  Kazy  Merite (6g Brillantissime) was  second at 9/1  for  driver Alexis Collette followed by 6.2/1 Kaline de Fael (6f Earl Simon) and fourth finishing 2/1 odds  second choice Kharnas (6g Memphis du  Rib) handled  by  Robin  Lamy.

Replay   https://www.letrot.com/courses/2026-03-02/1400/1

In the Prix Nonant  le Pin (purse 27,000€, 2450 meters,  14 starters ages 4-5) the 5.7/1 odds Melomane de Lou (4m Fabulous Wood-Diva de Lou) scored in 1.12.7kr for his fifth career win good for 71,020€ earned.

Paul Philippe Ploquin teamed the L. Cl. Abrivard trainee for Ecurie Serenite. More Love Ducampus (4m Love You-Fortunella) was a rallying second at 1.3/1 favorite odds with Alexandre Abrivard  up for L. Cl. Abrivard training for Stal Campus RPF. Laissez Faire (5f Goetmals Wood-Dominicana)tookthird at 7.4/1  odds with Guiseppe Porzio driving for Cyril Godard and owner Ecurie Mantaro.

Replay    https://www.letrot.com/courses/2026-03-02/1400/5

Tomorrow the GNT series commences at Amiens with the big field listed below.

On March 8 at Cagnes  sur Mer will be presented the Grand Criteruim de Vitesse de la Cote d’Azur (Gr I, purse 200,000€, 1609 meters autostart, starters ages 4-11) where the 37 horses initiallyengaged includes some champions – Go On Boy, Hooker Berry,  Iguski Sautonne, Inmarosa,  Hokkaido Jiel, Josh  Power, Frank Gio,  Lovino Bello, Keep Going, Justin Bold, Harley Gema and others. The last 12 race winners are shown below. The race record  of 1.08.1kr was set in 2024 by Vernissage Grif. Vivid Wise As won this test three times and Timoko was a four time winner, the first being in 2013. The all time winner was Une de Mai that scored a record five consecutive times from 1969-1973.

Trotteur Francais,  Caen, Cagnes sur Mer, Wikipedia files/photos

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink