July 18, 2015 – Harness racing action Saturday was at Enghien-Soisy near Paris with two groupe races on the harness racing card.
The Gr. II Prix de Buenos-Aires (€120,000 purse, 4150 meters, 10 European starters) headlined the program and 4/5 favorite Lionel (5m Look de Star-Aurora Sign) scored for Norway and reinsman Franck Nivard. Goran Antonsen owns the winner of this marathon contest.
27/1 Nefertite del Rio (8f Varenne-Zeudia) was second for Alexandre Abrivard and trainer L.Cl. Abrivard with Athos des Elfes (5m Ganymede-Lazio du Bourg) and trainer/driver Joel Van Eeckhaute placed third through disqualification, off at 13/1 odds. Taormina d’Em (8f Cedre du Vivier-Nevedara d’Em) at 22/1 was placed fourth for driver Tony LeBeller with Ricimer (10m Hermes du Buisson-Guka de la Chaise) placed fifth at 22/1 odds and reined by trainer/owner Herve Sionneau. The marathon distance was intelligently rated (1.21.2kr at 1000; 1.19.5kr at 500 meters to go).
2.4/1 odds Bahia Quesnot (4f Scipion du Goutier-Queen Ines) won the Prix du Faubourg (€68,000 purse, 2875 meters, 10 starters) today for Eric Raffin. Timed in 1.15.2kr, the winner handled 3.2/1 second place Bodeguita (4f Repeat Love-Netchka d’Orgeres) and reinsman Gabriel Gelormini and trainer/owner Louis Baudron. Third went to 6.2/1 Brise Marine (4f Ready Cash-Orange Mecanique) and Mathieu Mottier.
The Gr. III Prix de Rome (€85,000 purse, 2875 meters, 11 starters) resulted in a 2/5 odds victory by favorite Coquin Bebe (3m Rancho Gede-Nobkle Nanette) with J-M Bazire aboard for trainer Franck Leblanc. 7.6/1 Chateauroux (3m Sam Bourbon-Only Way-Vikings Way) was second for owner Jean-Pierre Dubois driving for trainer Yves Boireau. This pair traveled the death seat throughout with stablemate 11.8/1 Chanson d’Amour (3f Sam Bourbon-Song of Love-Coktail Jet) holding third for Julien Dubois, trainer Boireau and owner J-P Dubois after following Chateauroux all the way. Song of Love is a daughter of Guilty of Love, dam of Love You, Nice Love, Repeat Love and In Dix Huit. The winners’ time was 1.18.2kr after very modest fractions (1.21.9kr at 1000; 1.19.4kr at 500).
The Quinte+ Prix de la Porte Montmartre (€55,000 purse, 2150 meters, 16 European starters) went to 4.9/1 Prince du Poggio (6m Varenne-Moon Shadow) with Eric Raffin at the lines for trainer Vincent Lacroix. The winning pair was clocked in 1.13.5kr off comfortable fractions (1.14.5kr at 1000; 1.13.8kr at 500). 5.9/1 Going For Gold Zaz (7m Scarlet Knight-Spritte Zaz) was second for Dominik Locqueneux and trainer Robert Bergh with Nantucket (9m Viking Kronos-Malabar Lady) home third for Franck Ouvrie and trainer Sofia Aronsson at 8.5/1 odds. 19/1 Georgina Corner (6f Love You-Georgetown) was fourth for Pierre Vercruysse and trainer Mike Lenders for German owner Klaus Bockhoff, with fifth at 44/1 to Conway Fortuna (6m Conway Hall-Saratoga Yankee) for driver Thomas Levesque, Mike Lenders the trainer and owner Gerrits Recycling. The exact order €2 ticket paid over €25,000.
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The Enghien card also yielded the following winners:
- Verano du Reynard (6m Insert Gede-Nuranic des Nies) in the €48,000, 2875 meters Prix du Palais Bourbon clocked in 1.15.1kr for Pierre Vercruysse
- Calliope de Reux (3f Password-Queen Jet) in the Prix de Notre Dame (€42,000 purse, 2100 meters autostart) for owner/trainer/driver Jarmo Niskanen timed in 1.16.6kr
- Alderman (5g Phlegyas-Initia) for Eric Raffin in the Prix des Quinjze Vingt (€55,000 purse, 2875 meters) timed in 1.13.9kr
Tomorrow a major international race takes place at Mikkeli, Finland. The Prix Saint Michel Finlande goes for a purse of €122,000 with only eight starters over the 1609 meters autostart course. The field is listed below in post order:
Smilin Eli, Daniel Reden
Reven d’Amour, Hannu Toruine
Quick Fix, Jorma Kontio
Seabiscuit, Mika Forss
Creatine, Johnny Takter
Solea Riveliere, Philippe Daugeard
Bret Boko, Ari Moilanen
Stormysky, J. Torvinen
Creatine is the highest career money winner in this group.
Thomas H. Hicks