December 26, 2015 – Today’s fabulous Vincennes harness racing program in Paris included the Gr. II Prix Une de Mai (purse €120,000, 2175 meters, 13 two year-old female starters) and 44.5/1 odds Don’t Explain (2f Prodigious-Quarmen du Gite) rallied for victory driven by Mathieu Abrivard, and trainer/owner Philippe Allaire. 6.2/1 Deesse de Gueron (2f Melchior Jet-Olivia) landed second for owner/trainer/driver Franck Anne ahead of 2.6/1 favorite Demonia Roma (2f Password-Rome To Paris) trained by Allaire and reined by J-Ph Monclin. 53/1 Diana du Chatelet (2f Real de Lou-Tirade du Chatelet) was fourth for Aymeric Thomas, also trainer, with 7.5/1 Dista Love (2f Royal Dream-Usita Love) fifth for owner/driver Jean-Pierre Dubois and trained Yves Boireau. Dista Love battled alongside Demonia Roma for quite a distance and both held gamely albeit it probably cost them a higher placing.
The Gr. II International Prix Jules Lemmonier (purse €120,000, 2175 meters) went to peg-side rallying, 8.3/1 odds, Texas d’Liton (8g Cygnus d’Odyssee-Iliada de l’Liton) for jockey Mathieu Mottier, trainer Hughes Levesque and Ecurie de l’Iton. 3.8/1 Roxane Griff (10f Tenor de Baune-Julia Mesloise) was a game second after setting the pace for Eric Raffin, Ecurie Griff and trainer Sebastien Guarato. Favorite 1.3/1 Moving On (6f Quite Easy-Kings Blondie) was a no-excuses third for Franck Nivard, Ecurie I.C. Equine AB and trainer Fabrice Souloy. 42.7/1 Vagabondu Mad (6g Ozio Royal-Perle du Ravary) landed the fourth spot. Aladin d’Ecajeul and Torre Crepin were disqualified. Roi du Lupin ended sixth after racing evenly with cover on the outer. Fractions were quick ans steady (1.09.4kr at 1500; 1.10.8kr at 1000; 1.12.2kr at 500; 1.11.9kr finish, a mile rate of 1:55.69 over the 1.35 mile distance on the grande piste).
The race signified the FR career end for Roxane Griff and Roi du Lupin that have excited trotting fans with their great performances for many years. Roxane ends her career with earnings of €3.1 million, 21 victories of which four were Gr. I classics. Roi du Lupin concluded his career with earnings of €2.1 million, 32 wins of which one was a Gr. I test. They will be missed and both were quite competitive at the highest levels to their career end.
Badius de Tilou (4m Pagalor-Quetty Turgot) took today’s Quinte+ (jackpot €4.85 million) Prix de Luynes (2700 meters, 18 starters, purse €58,000) in a close photo verdict for P-Y Verva at 7.5/1. The Izaac trainee is owned by Ecurie Eric Lemaitre. 8.1/1 Be Bop Haufor (4g Notre Haufor-Ica Haufor) was second for owner/trainer/driver Christian Bigeon and third was 6.6/1 Bob (4m Overtrick-Fee du Houx) for Eric Raffin, just beaten a neck. The winners’ time was 1.14.1kr off even fractions (1.14.5kr at the 1500; 1.14.3kr at 1000; 1.14.6kr at the 500 to go post). The exact order Quinte+ payoff, without jackpot, exceeded €21,000 for a €2 wager.
The €88,000 Prix Strasbourg drew a field of 13 to this 2700 meter test. 3.2/1 Shadow d’Odyssee (9m Urfist des Pres-Battante d’Odyssee) answered with a 1.15kr victory for driver Eric Raffin, Ecurie Percheronne and trainer Pierre Belloche. Second was 3.9/1 Teatro (8m Ganymede-Josette) handled by owner/trainer Christian Bigeon ahead of 23/1 Topaze Jef (8f Islero de Bellouet-Katie Gourdonnaise) and reinsman Francois Lagadeuc and trainer J-M Baudouin. Favored 2.9/1 Truman Dairpet was disqualified.
Thomas H. Hicks