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Weekly Review of French Racing.
The temperature in The Winter Meeting at Vincennes was taken up a notch this past week with the first qualifying contest for the G1 Prix d'Amérique being conducted in the Qualifier 1 (Prix de Bretagne) on Sunday. The flat action continued with possible future stars on show…
Trotting
The final round of the Grand National du Trot was run at Mauquenchy last Wednesday. The G2 final will be run at Vincennes on Saturday 5 December. The G3 Grand National du Trot (Prix Jacques Brion) (2850m) for five to ten-year olds began Mauquenchy's programme on Wednesday. The barefoot seven-year-old Django Du Bocage was a clear winner despite a late challenge from Be One des Thirons. He is now reaching peak form and will be hard to beat in the final.
There was a busy finish to the G3 mounted Prix de l'Ile d'Oléron (2850m) for five-to-ten-year olds on Thursday afternoon at Vincennes where the gradual headway down the home straight under driver Alexandre Abrivard paid off with a success as he steered Daida De Vandel to the winner's enclosure to deny the fast finishing Dayana Berry and Diamant de Tréabat.
Salon-de-Provence hosted one of their biggest events of the year with the G3 Grand Prix de Salon-de-Provence (Prix Roland Jaffrelot) (3000m) for six-to-ten-year olds which closed the card on Friday. Désir Castelets came with a sudden burst of energy in the home straight on the outside to grab the win off Eclat de Gloire and the long-time leader Espoir du Marny. The seven-year-old mare won by a tiny margin for driver David Békaert and trainer Yannick Desmet.
Paris-Vincennes hosted a big day for the trotting calendar on Sunday with two black type contests.
The feature was G2 Prix d'Amérique Qualifier 1 (Prix de Bretagne) (2700m) for four to ten-year olds. The first three home would gain priority in the big race itself in late January. A fascinating field of eighteen faced the starter. Gabriele Gelormini steered Diable De Vauvert towards the back of the group in the opening stages on the outside for trainer Bertrand Le Beller. The seven-year-old made good progress on the final turn so was able to have a clear run. It looked unlikely with 200m to go but the son of Prince d'Espace regained momentum and fought back to secure G2 glory. A bunch finish made it a great spectacle with Feliciano second and Bahia Quesnot third. The favourite Valzer di Poggio was disqualified during the closing stages of the race. The 2018 and 2019 winner, Davidson du Pont could only manage tenth.
The G3 Prix Gras Savoye Willis Towers Watson (Prix de Boissy-Saint-Léger) (2100m) for four- and five-year olds was run forty minutes later. It was another exciting affair with four-year-old, Gallant Way on top for driver Anthony Barrier and trainer Philippe Allaire.
Twenty-four hours later at Vincennes the G2 mounted Prix Edmond Henry (2700m) was conducted for five- and six-year olds. Etoile de Bruyère managed to cut back Etonnant who built up an impressive lead only for the former to get through on the inside just in time.
Jumps
Rootster followed up his Toulouse victory by taking success in Bordeaux's feature on Sunday – the Listed Grand Steeple-Chase de Bordeaux Steeplechase (5300m) for five-year olds and above. Jockey James Reveley settled the seven-year-old grey gelding close to the pace and regularly exchanged positions to take the lead courtesy of his perfect jumping. Trainer Guillaume Macaire gained the first two in the feature prize as the former G1 Grand-Steeplechase de Paris winner (2016 and 2017) So French showed he still had zest in the final strides. The duo produced a great battle with a neck splitting them.
Flat
Last Tuesday, Saint Cloud hosted the Listed Prix Tantième (1600m) for three-year olds and above. American Devil sired his first stakes winner with Lupo Nero. He showed great resilience to deny the threat of Mon Ami L'Ecossais who was making ground in the closing stages. Ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot, the three-year-old colt successfully followed up his course and distance conditions victory from last month.
The Mickaël Barzalona and André Fabre combination teamed up with success in the feature at Chantilly on Wednesday in the Listed Prix Hérod (1400m) for two-year olds as Midtown travelled the best. The son of Dubawi showed his class late drawing clear in style. Now unbeaten in two outings, it presented Dubawi with his 192nd stakes winner. Dubawi will stand at Darley's Dalham Hall for an unchanged fee of £250,000 in 2021 and is now represented in Australia this season by his multiple Group 1-winning son, Too Darn Hot, who is standing his first season at the Darley's Kelvinside base for a fee of $44,000.
A large field of sixteen runners contested Fontainebleau's feature event on Thursday. The Listed Prix Cérès (1400m) for three-year-old fillies who have not won a Listed race this year. Despite the soft ground, a strong pace was set by the eventual winner, Honey Cake who almost made all the running under an enterprising ride by jockey Augustin Madamet. This daughter of Siyouni kept to her task in the final 200m to prevail for trainer Henri-Alex Pantall while delivering a forty third individual stakes winner for Siyouni. Remarkably, Siyouni was the sire of the first four horses with Private Romance second, Femina in third, while Marly brought up the quartet. Aga Khan Stud's Siyouni who also was the stallion of this year's winner of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2400m), Sottsass, has had his fee raised to €140,000 from €100,000.
