Today’s trotting action in France moved to Caen this day. At Caen the €28,000 purse Prix Nonant le Pin (2450 meters) went to 13/1 outsider Cipango(4m Defi d’Aunou-Spacia Dien) for Nils Pacha timed in 1.15.7kr. 8/1 Choomy Delddou (4m Love You-Romy de Chaumiere) was second for M.D. Lecroc with 36/1 Be Bop Meslois (5g Rocklyn-Roma Trenniere) home third.
The €38,000 Prix de Saint-Etienne over 2475 meters (distance handicap) went to 1.14.2kr timed Venose de Mirel Tony Le Beller that went off the 1.6/1 favorite and overcame a 25 meter handicap earn the victory. 3.3/1 Ah Quel Micha (6m Rocklyn-Oceane du Phere) was second traveling the race standard distance for Jean-Philippe Dubois, trainer Philippe Moulin and Ecurie Victoria Dreams. 21/1 Topaze de Landerie also overcame a 25 meter penalty to be third for reinsman Anthony Barrier.
Today (March 7) at Eskilstuna SWE a conditioned event for 35,000SEK to the winner of the 2140 meter autostart test went to Let’s Dance America for Jorma Kontio at 3.9/1. The six year old daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe-Dance Of Joy-Malabar Man recorded her first 2016 win in four starts.
On Sunday (March 6) at Chartres was the €29,000 Prix du Conseil Departemental d’Eure-et-Loir over 2800 meters. 1.2/1 favorite Apollo de Souvigne (6g Lontzac-Fluer de Souvigne) scored in 1.14.5kr for Gabby Gelormini over 18/1 Authentice with Mathieu Mottier driving and 12/1 Very Happy Jihem and teamster Loic Guinoiseau. The same day Agen hosted the featured Prix Jag de Bellouet for €35,000 over 2625 meters. 1.2/1 favorite Bolero des Vignes (5m Quai Bourbon-Poesie de Bouffey) scored victory timed in 1.14.7kr for Alain Laurent. Ulf Nordin teamed 9/1 Victoria Empress (7f Magnificent Rodney-Pat The Bill) to a second place result with third to 10/1 Buffalo de Baylev (5m Memphis du Rib-Rafale du Plessis) and Nicolas Ensch.
On the weekend elsewhere On Track Piraten (8g Kool du Caux-Monrovia-Rite On Line) took the Gosta Bergengrens V75 Gold (2140 meters autostart) at Bergsaker SWE on Saturday. The 1.28/1 favorite handled by Johnny Takter earned the 150,000SEK winners share of the purse defeating Ed You (9g Love You-Lancia Brick-Super Arnie) with Robert Bergh up and Blended Scotch (7f Super Photo Kosmos-Hopscotch-Zoot Suit) with Per Linderoth aboard. The winner now has 23 wins in 81 starts for 9,879,000SEK earned. The veteran has a 2016 slate of 2-1-1 in four starts. The same day the V75 Silver (125,000SEK to the winner) over1640 meters autostart went to Scellino Luis (5g Andover Hall-Susy Trio-Indro Park) at 2.6/1 for Erik Adielsson. Windy Ways (f Conway Hall-Southwind Flanders) and Wariner (9g Cromwell-Winnie Way-Mustard) were next to the line. Quality Questioned (7g Andover Hall-Jalopy-Donerail) was in the beaten field.
On March 6 in Italy, at Firenze, the Prix Etruria (purse €45,100, 1600 meters autostart) for three year-olds was won by Unno del Duomo (3m Ganymede-Irma dei Duomo-Lemon Dra) timed in 1.14.8kr for Andrea Farolfi. This winner recorded his fifth career victory in ten starts for earnings now in excess of €38,000. Second was Utopia Luis (3f Ganymede-Elite Fox Diete-Supergill) for driver Roberto Vecchione. Urgania was third for Roberto Andreghetti.
In the days ahead the GNT (Grand National du Trot) begins its 35th edition starting March 9 at Amiens. It’s a great series that takes solid trotting action to the rural tracks in France. Be here for results of the important GNT races:
March 9 : Amiens
March 30 : Marseille-Borély
April 13 : Lyon-la-Soie
April 27: Bordeaux-le-Bouscat
May 25: La Capelle
June 8: Laval
June 22: Reims
August 10: Saint-Malo
September 7: Les Sables-d’Olonne
September 28 Le Mont-Saint-Michel
Octiober 19: Salon-de-Provence
November 9: Nantes
November 23: Mauquenchy
December 5: Paris-Vincennes
Thomas H. Hicks