January 18, 2016 – The Prix de Brionne (purse €54,000, 2700 meters, 18 European entrants) was Monday’s Quinte+ at Vincennes and 1.1/1 Call Me Keeper (m Pine Chip-Eliza Keeper) took victory timed in 1.13.kr for driver Bjorn Goop and trainer Daniel Reden. Stall Zet owns the winner. 20.2/1 Only One Glory (8m Ganymede-Eva Kant Gar) was second for Roberto Andreghetti, trainer Fabrice Souloy and Scuderia RPR of Italy. 27/1 Volcan du Garabin (7g Norman Jet-Dulcinee Gibus) ended third for Gabriel Gelormini ahead of another Reden trainee Rocket Zet (7m Muscles Yankee-Hefty Zet) at 2.7/1 for Daniel Parling, with fifth to 64/1 Archangel AM (g Going Kronos-No More Time) for trainer/driver Lutfi Kolgjini.
The €37,000 Prix de la Baule (B) contested over 2700 meters went to 1.14.5kr timed Best Haufor (5m Ready Cash-Nikita Haufor) for owner/trainer/driver Christian Bigeon. The 9/10 favorite bested 12 rivals with second to 6.5/1 Best Atat (5m Coktail Jet-Gunilla) driven by William Bigeon. 15/1 Bamour (5m Gazouillis-Reine Magic) was third for Mathieu Mottier.
The Gr. III Prix de Roubaix (purse €90,000, 2850 meters, 9 monte starters) this day went to 1.1/1 favorite Vif d’Or du Poli (7g Ludo de Castelle-Fontaine di Poli) that is owned/trained by Bernard Piton and reined today by Christelle Le Coz. 1.7/1 Vinci Pierji (7g Meaulnes du Corta-Intaille) was second for Nils Pacha and trainer Mathieu Abrivard. 27/1 Uros de l’Extreme (8g Neutron du Cebe-Limpia) was third for Benjamin Rochard. The winner was clocked in 1.15.5kr.
Next Sunday’s Prix de Cornulier (Gr. I International UET Masters Series) attracted 25 initial entrants to the world’ richest and most prestigious monte contest at Paris-Vincennes, over the 2700 meter distance on the grande piste, The winner earns a spot in the Prix d’Amerique the following Sunday and the winner’s share of the €700,000 purse.
On first engagement there were 29 entered and then four dropped out (Gross Weight, Biscuit Delavera, Amazone du Dollar and Agrippine) of this highlight of January 24th at Vincennes. Tiego Etang is the richest competitor in the field. He placed in 2013, 2014 and 2015, His main opponents will probably be Vision intense, Moving On, Athena Vandel, and venerable age 10 Scarlet Turgot, Best Of Jets will be the only five year-old in the running for trainerJean-Michel Baudouin. No five year-old has won since 2007 when One du Rib emerged. Sebastien Guarato will send out Astor du Quenne and Aladin d’Ecajeul against other top players Uhlan du Val, Olmo Holz and Udayama.
Last weekend at Gavle the V75 Gold Division went to Ed You (9g Love You-Lancia Brick-Super Arnie) for driver/trainer Robert Bergh. The 2140 meter autostart contest earned 150,000SEK for the winner. On Track Piraten (8g Kool du Caux-Monrovia-Rite On Line) was second for Johnny Taker with third to the Jorma Kontio reined Allaballakaitoz (8g Credit Winner-Southwind Sweetbay-Valley Victory). Luckycharm Hanover and Democrat were the next two across the line. The winner, off at 5.8/1, now has career earnings of over 6,100,000SEK.
Thomas H. Hicks