After battling the now age-retired Scarlet Turgot, the superb harness racing six year-olds Bellissima France (6f Blue Dream-Quanta Rosa Sun) and Bilibili (6m Niky-Quetty du Donjon) battled to line in the Gr. II Prix du Calvados (purse €150,000, 2850 meters) at Vincennes. Both were away toward the end early with Bilibili outside of Bellissima, before Bilibil and Alexandre Abrivard (trainer L.Cl. Abrivard, owner Jean Pierre Barjon) zoomed to the front around the final bend and jetted off to what looked like an insurmountable lead.
Bellissima France (driver Matthieu Abrivard, also trainer, owner LD-M Abrivard) escaped her position locked on the pylons and worked toward the top pack, then darted toward the inside and drove past Bilibili on the line. She was clocked in 1.13.6kr off rated fractions (1.14.5kr at the 1500 to go mark; 1.14.1kr with 1000 remaining; 1.13.9kr at the 500) and raised her career earnings to €643,330.
Bilibili now has earned €590,800.
Bellissima France was off at 1.3/1 and Bilibili at 2.6/1.
8/1 Attentionally (7f Jasmin de Flore-Intentionally) was third for David Thomain and owner/trainer Paul Viel
Bellissima France
The undercard’s Prix Scarlet Turgot (Crack Series Six Year Olds) went to the 1.14.3kr timed Carabinieri (6m Wellino Boko-Dew Princess) reined by Johan Untersteiner for AB Ybena of SWE and trainer Peter Untersteiner, at 2.6/1 odds. Second was 8.9/1 Scellino Luis (6g Andover Hall-Susy Trio) with Matthieu Abrivard driving for trainer Daniel Reden and Lekeryd AB, also of SWE. King Sir Kir (6m Make It Happen-Kings Blondie) landed third at 5.3/1 for J-M Bazire and Sweden’s Ecurie I.C. Equine AB. Italy’s Super Fez (6m Love You-Lucia FI) was fourth for Gabriel Gelormini ahead of Bel Auteur (6m Password-Possession) with Jean Philippe Dubois up.
The Bigeon family stable shined toward program end. Costa Haufor (5f Saphir d’Haufor-Santa Haufor) took the Prix de Talence (purse €39,000, 2850 meters) at 7.4/1 for Charles Julien Bigeon at the lines for trainer/owner Christian Bigeon. Cybele des Peria (5f Quaker Jet-Miss du Boisnant) took second for Franck Nivard ahead of Comete cdes Vaux (5f Singalo-Queen Marie Vaux) and Yoann Lebourgeois. A race later Ch. J and trainer Christian returned another winner in the Prix Salon de Provence (purse €58,000, 2100 meters autostart) with Aufor de Mire (7g Notre Haufor-Hilda Dix) clocked in 1.13.1kr. A.F. Bigeon owns this one. Auch (7g Niky-Migraine) at 4.4/1 was second for the same connections, Christian Bigeon as driver/trainer/owner.
Both of these now have career earnings in excess of €215,000.
Third was 21/1 After River (7f Quaker Jet-Ogusa de la Merite) driven by Franck Nivard for trainer Sebastian Guarato.
Thomas H. Hicks