November 14, 2016 – Today’s Quinte+ Prix du Languedoc (purse €95,000, 2850 meters, 18 European starters) went to 1.12.6kr timed ands 5.3/1 odds Valko Jenilat (7m Kepler-Perle du Roc) with Eric Raffin driving for Ecurie G&F Raffre and harness racing trainer Sebastien Guarato. 4/1 Indigious (7m Prodigious-Indication) took second for Franck Nivard and trainer Fabrice Souloy with 35/1 Alienor de Godrel (6f Orlando Vici-Julietta) third for trainer Franck Anne and driver David Thomain. 5.7/1 Altesse du Mirel (6f Ready Cash-Ina de Mirel) was fourth. The Quinte+ exact order ticket paid €5,066 for a €2 wager.
The featured monte Gr. II Prix Louis Tillaye (purse €120,000, 2700 meters, eight starters) this day went to 1.14.9kr timed and 5.6/1 odds Dhikti Vedaquais (3m Thorens Vedaquais-Marie Blanque) with Anthony Barrier in the irons. Philippe Allaire is owner/trainer of the colt bred by Jean-Pierre Guay. The 1/5 favorite Dollar Macker (3m Saxo de Vandel-Salt Lake City) was second for jockey Yoann Lebourgeois and owner Olivier Henri Thomas. Allaire also trains Dollar Macker. Third was 13.2/1 Dragon d’Avril (3m Thorens Vedaquais-Sirene d’avril) for Antoine Lamy and trainer/owner Sebastien Houyuet.
Race fractions were modest (1.16.3kr at 1500 meters to go; 1.14.8kr at the 1000; 1.15.3kr with 500 meters remaining).
The sire Thorens Vedaquais 1:56.2 (US$729,796) is by Cygnus d’Odyssee, a son of Workaholic, and the dam is Muntanyetai by Cezio Josselyn (by Armbro Goal) from a Florestan mare.
Thomas H. Hicks