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News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 3rd March 2021.

This week's news-in-brief includes the dates for the Osarus Trotting sales, retirement of Tony Gio and a new appointment at Deauville...

Auch

With Italo Duem's triumph at Auch on Sunday, Blue Pass gained a first winner as a stallion. This season there are 34 foals born sired by the son of Prodigious. He is based at the Oak Haras in the South West. Jérôme Chavatte completed a hat-trick on the card with Italo Duem, Grande Passion and Gustavia Vici. This was the fourth hat-trick haul of his career. 

Cagnes-sur-Mer

Didier and Pauline Prod'homme trained four of the eight winners at Cagnes-sur-Mer on Saturday. They were successful in four handicaps with Khoshenko (Pastoral Pursuits), Nosdargent (Kendargen), Barbodin (Anodin) and Shamsabad (Rock of Gibraltar). The duo has made a good start to the season with six victories so far. To win four races on one card is a milestone but to score in four handicaps is quite a training achievement. 

Public Sale

There will be three dates of the Osarus trotting sale for 2021. On May 12 the Argentan mixed sale will take place followed by the yearling sale at the same racecourse on August 26. The trio of sales will culminate at Laval racecourse on October 6 with a mixed sale.  

Charlène Callico

Apprentice driver Charlene Callico gained the fiftieth winner of her career onboard Flash Ouest in a Toulouse mounted race last week. Forty-eight hours later she steered Divine du Renouard to success at Vincennes as an apprentice for the final time.

Nurlan Bizakov

Nurland Bizakov has purchased the historic Haras du Mezeray in Normandy, forming part of his Sumbe group. The Kazakhstani businessman had already acquired the Hesmonds Stud in East Sussex back in 2010 and bought the Haras de Montfort et Preaux in Normandy in November last year. Tony Fry, who was the manager at Hesmonds, will now be based at Haras du Mezeray with Mathieu Alex remaining as manager of Montfort et Preaux. G1 Prix de'l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m) winners Trempolino and Subotica have been bred at the famous Mezeray stud. Classic hope, Normandy Bridge, will represent the breeding operation this spring campaign. 

Cobra Killer Gar

In Turin last week, the quickest European three-year-old kilometre of 1'12"3 this season was recorded by Italian trotter Cobra Killer Gar. The son of Readly Express is trained and driven by Alessandro Gocciadoro and was sold for €120,000 as a yearling. Italiano Véro is the fastest three-year-old in France, recording a 1'13"3 kilometre during his victory in the G2 Prix Paul Viel (2175m). 

Fontainebleau

The partnership of Guillaume Macaire and Hector de Lageneste won five of the eight races at Fontainebleau last Tuesday. Barython de Viage (Nicaron), Applie's Pierro (Martaline), Avocette (Balko), Gamin d'Oudairies (Kapgarde) and Calotin (Martaline) completed the excellent day's work for the newly formed and formidable team.  

Tony Gio

Star trotter Tony Gio has been retired after finishing eighth in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris (4150m). The son of Varenne delivered two runner-up positions in the 2019 and 2020 renewals of the final leg of the trotting Triple Crown. The Sébastien Guarato-trained nine-year-old was represented in the colours of the Bivans stable for whom he won the G3 Grand Prix de la Federation Regionale du Nord (2700m), beating superstar Bold Eagle (Ready Cash) in the process. He won over €1,000,000 in prize-money and fifteen races in total.

Chantilly

The Andre Fabre-trained Duhail was a facile four-length winner of the Prix Anabaa (1300m) on reappearance at Chantilly earlier this week. The son of Lope de Vega has now secured an entry in the AW Sprint Championship Final (1200m) at Lingfield in April. Later in the card, the trainer completed a double with Magny Cours coasting to victory in the Prix Darshaan (1900m). The Godolphin-owned six-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro was unbeaten in two starts last term, winning two Listed events, notably lowering the colours of 2019 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (1600m) winner Persian King. Interestingly, he still has an entry for the G1 Dubai World Cup (2000m) at Meydan towards the end of this month. 

Deauville

Guillaume Flavigny has been appointed Track Manager at Deauville racetrack and the associated training centre. He will have responsibility for twenty-two staff.

Sebastian Guarato

For trainer Sebastien Guarato, he recorded a unique double last Thursday winning the first race at Vincennes with four-year-old Héliade du Goutier (Prodigious) and then at Lyon-la-Soie later that day with three-year-old Inshot Josselyn. For this victory it was also a personal achievement for Guarato winning at the track as a driver for the first time.