Olympic Joy gets 1st career victory; Muscle Hill Retired

Philippe Allaire’s trained and co-bred Olympic Joy (2f Dollar Macker-Ilika de Bomo-Charly du Noyer) won today’s Prix des Cyclamens (38,000€ purse, 2175 meters, eight two year old harness racing females) at Paris-Vincennes timeefd in 1.14.9kr with David Thomain driving.

Gitte Paulsen-Allaire owns and co-bred this first time winner of 23,250€. She was second and fifth in her initial starts. She was of as the 1.7/1 odds favorite today and defeated 1.8/1 odds Open All Night (2f Savo de Vandel-Black Rain) with Alexandre Abrivard up for trainer Laurent Claude Abrivard and Ecurie E & M Rizieri.

The 3.2/1 Of America (2f Royal Dream-Endiablee-Prodigious) was third with Jean Philippe Dubois driving as also the trainer for his Ecurie Victoria Dreams. Objection AR (2f Etonnant-Tashira-Gros Grain)was fourth at 7.8/1 odds with Franck Nivard up for trainer/breeder Richard Westerink. These are fillies to watch.

Replay https://www.letrot.com/courses/2026-08-26/7500/2

This week it was announced that veteran Hooker Berry (9m Booster Winner-Osaka Berry-Cabillio In Blue), shown below, will join the September 12 Yonkers International field. He won the 2023 Paris d’Amerique and has earned 1,889,403€ from 14 career wins. He was third in his last start, at Enghien in the Prix Jean LucLagardere. Antoine Lherete trains and has recently reined this trotteur for breeder/owner Michel Aldenise. He joins Gio Cash, Mellby Jinx, Diva EK, Bourbonista and Powwow as inviteees.

It was also announced on Trotteur Francais that Muscle Hill, a legend of American racing and global breeding, is retiring from all activity. The 20-year-old sire has several issues affecting his fertility and was able to cover 49 mares this year (41 confirmed in foal) in the Trotteur Francais post. It was previously posted in the US that Southwind Farm, where Muscle Hill stands, will be closing. I confirmed the Muscle Hill retirement with Southwind Farm’s Manager Laura Young. Laura said all other stallions have left the farm for frozen semen collection with their 2027 locations to be announced,

Trotteur Francais, Paris-Vincennes, Southwind Farm

by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink