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News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting.
Champion racehorse Goldikova passed-away on Monday. In a statement from Pierre-Yves Bureau, on behalf of owners, the Wertheimer Brothers, announced:
'It is with immense sadness that we inform you of the disappearance of our champion Goldikova on January 5 2021. Goldikova will be remembered as the best racing mare in the team with her fourteen Group 1 victories, including a splendid Prix Jacques le Marois 2009 and her historic treble in the Breeders'Cup Mile.'
Bilibili's current campaign has come to an end following an injury. Not career threatening, he will require a six-week rest period and will not be seen again until next winter. Until this setback Bilibili was on target in his attempt to win the G1 Prix de Cornulier (2700m) for a third successive year.
The injury is tendonitis in his right hind leg with inflammation below the knee and trainer Laurent Abrivard had his suspicion there may be a problem following work and four days later following an examination, his worse fears were confirmed.
For a nine-year-old who has been racing since he was three, his record is only 48 starts which includes five Group One races [2 x Prix de Cornulier, 2 x Prix Ile-de-France and Prix de President de la Republique], € 1,879,600 and a personal best of 1'10".
The 2021 renewal of the G2 Prix d'Amérique Races Qualifier five, Prix de Bourgogne (2100m) did not disappoint with Face Time Bourbon who prevailing beating Vivid Wise As and Délia du Pommereux, second and third respectively. The pair ensured their qualification for the G1 Grand Prix d'Amérique (2700m).
The G1 Grand Prix d'Amérique 2020 winner was mainly opposed by the well-supported Davidson du Pont with the duel between these two lasting until the mid-stretch, when Face Time Bourbon aggressively took a definitive advantage whilst rival Davidson du Pont weakened into fourth.
The event also meant a 1-2 for owner Antonio Somma who is a 60-year-old entrepreneur, born in the Naples region. In France, Antonio Somma places his horses with trainer Sébastien Guarato. The owner has around sixty trotters in total, predominantly in Italy, but also in the United States.
Connections were pleased with his performance and considered it as the ideal race prior to the feature Classic in four weeks.
As the Winter Meeting progresses, Ready Cash remains the dominant stallion with prizemoney his offspring have won nearly double that of Prodigious with Royal Dream, third. In Sweden, Royal Cash lies third behind Maharajah and Muscle Hill.
Eric Raffin and Mathieu Mottier have been crowned as the leading driver and rider for 2020. For Raffin, this is his second successive Golden Sulky title with 254 wins (285 in 2019 – 10 months v 12 months). Second was Matthieu Abrivard (179) and Yoann Lebourgeois (156). The mounted title had been keenly contested throughout the season with Mottier having 72 winners ahead of Alexandre Abrivard and Eric Raffin. Yoann Lebourgeois' won the title in 2019. Jean-Michel Bazire was leading trainer with 207 victories.
Neufbosc clinched a well-deserved success in the 2400m G2 Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot last Saturday. The son of Mastercraftsman held a stellar CV in France with his record including success in the G3 Prix du Lys (2400m) and a second place in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris (2400m) under the training of Pia Brandt.
After heading over with G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) potential it was clear Neufbosc, like many Europeans, was experiencing issues adapting to his new surroundings. It was at that point owners decided to send him to Western Australia, to Neville Parnham where he appears to have found his mark.
Young rider Chris Parnham, son of trainer, plotted his course carefully on the favourite and once let down in the middle of the track, Neufbosc's attitude and class began to tell as he fought to the front in the last 50 meters, running out a determined 0.2L winner. His dam, Nonsuch Way (Verglas) was placed third in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary (2000m).
The dual G2 winner Headman has been retired to Figerro Breeding Farm in Saône-et-Loire, this year. Roger Charlton's son of Kingman (Invincible Spirit) landed four of his nine career outings with highlights including a pair of 2000m successes in the G2 Prix Eugene Adam (2000m) and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano (2000m) at three in 2019.
The five-year-old, out of the winning King's Best (Kingmambo) mare Deliberate, is a half-sister to five-time scorer and the classy Flintshire (Dansili), who stands at Hill 'N' Dale Farm in Kentucky, plus Dance Moves (Dansili), a dual Listed victor for Andre Fabre. Headman will stand for a fee of €2,800.
The turn of the New Year could not have gone more smoothly for jockey Alex Badel, who steered home three victories last Friday at Sha Tin, including the G3 Bauhinia Sprint Trophy (1000m handicap) on Explosive Witness. Alexis Badel is currently placed fifth in the jockey's standings, fighting with Vincent Ho and Karis Teetan for third place.
Following a period on the side-lines and a visit to the European sports rehabilitation centre in Capbreton - Fabien Lefebvre returned to the saddle on the 26th December at Pornichet. The jockey is now proceeding without an agent and has confirmed he is more motivated than ever to return to the level of performance which saw him produce five Group successes.
Seahenge (Scat Daddy) returns to La Haie Neuve stud farm for a third season following a stint in Argentina where he will have covered 106 mares, bringing the total number of mares covered to 389 in two years.
