The marvelous Face Time Bourbon (4m Ready Cash-Vita Bourbon) led from the start to victory in today’s Gr. II Prix Octave Douesnel (purse 100,000€, 2700 meters. 10 starters) at the Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes.
He was reined by Bjorn Goop for trainer Sebastien Guarato and clocked in 1.14.6kt as the 3/10 favorite. Ecurie Bivans Srl owns the winner that SARL Haras Saint Martin owns. Face Time now sports 17 career wins in 20 starts for 978,550€ earned.
The pace was a walk in the park as there were no challengers to the winning FTB (1.17.1kr with 1500 meters to go; 1.16.6kr at the1000 and 1.16.3kr with 500 remaining as then FTB jetted away).
The 12/1 Fakir du Lorault (4m Vaillant Cash-Native du Lorault) was second for Francois Lecanu and trainer Mickael Charuel. Third was 44/1 Fun Quick (4m Carpe Diem-Activity Quick) for Yoann Lebourgeois, trainer Maik Esper and Ecurie Quick Star. Fighter Smart and Follow You completed the top five.
Face Time is likely to appear again in two weeks in the four-year old Criterium Continental, the winner of which earns a Prix d'Amerique invitation.
To watch the race replay, click here.
Today’s Paris-Vincennes co-feature was the monte Gr. II Prix Raoul Balliere (purse 100,000€, 2175 meters, 11 starters) and 9/1 odds Gangster du Wallon (3m Let’s Go Along-Umeda du Wallon) scored in 1.13.4kr with Benjamin Rochard in the irons for owner/trainer Damien Lecroq. The winner scored for the third time in 18 starts now for life earnings of 166,640€.
The 11/1 Gladys des Plaines (3f Opus Viervil) was second for jockey Eric Raffin and trainer Gilles Curens. 5.6/1 Gee (3f Brutus de Baily) was third for Mathieu Mottier. The 4/10 favorite Grace de Fael was a dq.
A series of upper class races were also on the stage including the Quinte+ Prix d’Hautefort (purse 58,000€, 2100 meters autostart, 16 starters) and the quick 1.11.4kr timed winner was 1.4/1 Bryssel (7m Ready Cash-Spacelane) with trainer Bjorn Goop aboard. T
The winner raised his life earnings to 275,980€. Second was 30/1 Big Headache (9g EL Miko) for Philippe Daugeard and third was 4/1 Canular (7g Jet Fortuna) with Yoann Lebourgeois up. 18/1 Be Cool and 3.8/1 Calyu des Bose completed the top five creating an exact order Q+ payoff of 3,166.20€to 192 winning tickets. The Q+ pool was 4,087,320€ and total of all pool on this race exceeded 8,969,000€
Gu d’Heripre (3m Coktail Jet-Vedetta d’Heripre), off at 1.4/1 odds, took the Prix de Mansle (purse 70,000€, 2100 meters autostart, 14 European three year old starters). Franck Nivard teamed the 1.12.4kr timed winner to his sixth career victory in nine starts, now for 122,750€ earned. 2.6/1 Empire (3m Vasterbo Prestige-Gossip Gal) was second for reinsman Bjorn Goop and 6.7/1 Gelati Cut (3m Coktail Jet-Variety Cut) was third for Alexandre Abrivard and trainer R.C. Larue.
Calina (5f Archipelago-Caltina Hall) took the Prix Narquois (Gr. III, purse 80,000€, 2700 meters, 11 starters) for David Thomain and trainer Jean-Michel Bazire. Off at 1.4/1 odds Calina won for the first time in France for Norwegian owner C.G. Myhre.
The 4/1 Ghazi BR (5m Cantab Hall-Fiery Chip) was second for trainer/driver Bazire and third was 2.5/1 Violetto Jet (5m From Above-Nocciolaia Jet) for Franck Nivard. 6.7/1 Vipera Killer Gar (5f Varenne) and 20/1 Hard Times (5m Coktail Jet) completed the top five. As a result of this race trainer/driver Bazire was suspended again, this time apparently due to the teaming up of stablemates Calina and Ghazi BR in the final turn.
by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink