October 27, 2017 – Bird Parker (6m Ready Cash-Belisha) impressively won today’s Tour European Finale (purse €120,000, 2300 meters autostart, 16 starters, Quinte+) at Mons Ghlin Belgium. Joseph Verbeeck happily teamed the Philippe Allaire trainee for owner Elisabeth Allaire.
Race time was 1.12.4kr and Bird Parker now has career earnings of €1,477,054. This 9/10 favorite bested 34.5/1 Totem d’Azur (10m Joao Panca-Heidi l’Indienne) for trainer/driver Junior Guelpa. 6.7/1 Billie de Montfort (6f Jasmin de Flore-Quismy de Montfort) took third driven by David Thomain and trainer Sebastien Guarato. 3.6/1 Anna Mix (7f Ludo de Castelle-Ires) was fourth and 10.2/1/ Swedishman (11g Gogo-Volgana) took fifth.
The co-featured Prix Champagne Moet (purse €48,000, 2850 meters autostart, 16 starters) produced a blanket finish with the winner 7/2 Gosip Sidney (7g SJs Photo-Super Sidney) reined by Michel Huygens and trained by Mme. L, Huygens-DeWitte. This 1.14.1kr timed winner defeated 26.4/1 Versachet (8g Kaiser Soze-Houlette) driven by trainer Julien Raffestin. 19.5/1 Allegro Nonarta (7g Otello Pierji-Lubie Nonantaise) was third for Rik Ebbinge and trainer Laurent Simon. Big Headache (7g EL Mikko) finished fourth.
The Prix Geciloc Belgique (purse €12,000, 2350 meters autostart, 16 starters) produced a rallying victory by 20.8/1 Dragster (5g Micro Mesh-Timber Marie) clocked in 1.14.5kr for driver Dominik Locqueneux and trainer Roger Malmqvist. 3.2/1 Clemenza AM (5g Muscle Hill-No Better Kronos) held second for Lutfi Kolgjini, also trainer, for owner Courant AB. 2.4/1 Highness Worthy (6m SJs Photo-Oqui Worthy II) rallied for third. The 100.7/1 outside Angel Dark was seventh, this one, a career winner of over €119,000, is owned by trainer Anders Lindqvist and Peter Gerry.
The €35,000 purse Prix Van der Paarden (2300 meters autostart, 16 starters, three year olds) was near the top of the Mons Ghlin undercard. The 1.16.1kr timed winner was even-money favorite Kaela Vrijthout (3f Orlando Vici-The Best Fanatic) with Rik Ebbinge aboard. 34.8/1 Kirr Royal (3f Sugar Trader-Belle Pere WG) was this for Nico d’Haenens. 13.6/1 Kamukana (3g Love You-Duenna Tranns R) was third for driver Jos Verbeeck and owner/trainer Rudy Smets.
Thomas H. Hicks