Un Mec d'Heripre (6m Orlando Vici-I Love You Darling-Buvetier d'Aunou) won today's E150,000 Gr. II UET Masters Series Prix d'Europe, over 28765 meters, at Enghien-Soisy, gaining sweet victory after his July 29 disqualification in the Hugo Abergs Memorial.
Trained by Fabrice Souloy and reined today by Franck Ouvrie, the 4/5 favorite emerged late along the pegs to secure his 16th win in 29 starts now for E911,780 earned.
Veteran Roxane Griff (9f Tenor de Baune-Julia Mesloise) battled bravely to be second for Eric Raffin with 28.5/1 Global Manhattan (7m Love You-Devilish Yankee) third for Roberto Andreghetti.
Quoumba de Guez and Reve de Beylev ended fourth and fifth in the top field. Race time was 1.14.4kr.
The undercard was a good one at Enghien-Soisy with the Quinte+ Prix l'Union de la Presse Hippique going to Italy's Romanesque with trainer Marco Smorgon up.
The four year-old son of Love You-Quantanamera-Viking Kronos won at 25.4/1 for owner Scuderia Trotto Italia SAS in 1.14.8kr over 2875 meters. Purse was E85,000 and 15 Europeans contested this one with 7/10 favorite Athos des Elfes (4m Ganemede-Iazio du Bourg) a game second for Jan Van Eeckhaute (trainer/driver) and J-P Dubois' Tast Of Bourbon (4f Donato Hanover-Qualita Bourbon) was a good, competitive third at 33/1 odds.
The special E10 million Quinte+ jackpot produced strong wagering (win/place handle alone was over E971,300) and an exact order payoff of E182,616 for a two euro wager.
The Prix de l'Association National des Turfistes, a Gr. III E80,000 purse test over 2150 meters, drew 10 starters and the 1.14.1kr winner was Denmark's Ravenna (6m Legendary Lover K-Coccola Jet-Supergill) handled by Robert Andreghetti for trainer Fabrice Souloy and owner Stall Independence. The 9/10 favorite, now a 10 time winner for E241,126, defeated Germany's Dream Magic BE (5m Dream Vacation-Dantesca CIA) reined by Pierre Vercruysse for trainer Josef Franzl. Plutonio was third for Franck Ouvrie at the lines for trainer Ake Kristoffersson.
Thomas H. Hicks