December 21, 2018 – Today’s monte Gr. III Prix Sans Dire Oui (purse 105,000€, 2850 meters, seven European starters) went to the game 5/2 second wagering choice Mindyourvalue WF (5g Hovding Lavec-Mind Your Manners) at Vincennes with harness racing Eric Raffin in the irons for owner Christer Englund and trainer Robert Bergh.
The winner was timed in 1.14kr and recorded his seventh win in nine starts in France to raise his career earnings to 439,983€.
2/5 favorite Clegs des Champs (6g Legs du Clos-Proserpine) was second with David Thomain up for trainer Thierry Raffegeau and owner J-Y Roze. A distant third was the 29/1 outsider Clara du Ponseuil (6f Mich Phili-Osaka d’Occagnes) with P-Y Verva the jockey.
The day’s Quinte+ race was on the card in the Prix d’Amboise (purse 55,000€, 2700 meters, 18 European starters). Longshots prevailed with victory to the 10/1 Contree d’Erable (6f Prince Gede-Soiree d’Erable) driven by David Thomain for trainer Jean Pierre Thomain and owner Ecurie du Haras d’Erable. The victory was the 13th in the career of the winner, now with 227,130€ earned. 61/1 Coumba Kuky (6f Matador de Vrie) was second for trainer/driver Gabriel Angel Pou Pou, and third was 27/1 Tooltime (8f Carmody Lobell) with trainer Bjorn Goop up. 13/1 Costa Haufor and 19/1 Croix du Buisson completed the top five and paved the way for an exact order payoff of 352,674.40€ payoff for the 2€ wager. Race time was a good 1.13kr.
The Prix de Pierrefonds (purse 58,000€, 2700 meters, 14 starters all four-year old mares) saw 3.4/1 odds Etonne de Carsi (4f Okapi de Fad-Ophelie du Pommeau) score with Anthony Barrier driving for trainer Franck Leblanc. This mare recorded her fifth career win in 18 starts, now for 111,140€ earned. 7/2 odds Erolina (4f Prodigious) was second with Eric Raffin piloting for breeder/owner/trainer Alphonse Vanberghen. The 3.1/1 Exciting Lady (4f Sam Bourbon) was third for owner/trainer/driver Jean Michel Bazire.
Action on the weekend at Vincennes features the Criterium Continental and Prix Tenor de Baune, with those winners receiving an invitation to the Prix d’Amerique 2019.
Thomas H. Hicks