Vignia la Revelle (7f Diamant Gede-Jirania La Revelle) took Wednesday’s €45,000 Grand Prix du Conseil Departmental de la Mayenne) at Laval, scoring over 2850 meters and clocked in 1.15.kr.
Off at 4.3/1 odds the J-M Bazire piloted, E.G. Blot owned and trained winner defeated 17 international rivals ib the days Quinte+ race with a jackpot of €3.3 million.
9.6/1 Urgos du Cedre (8g Kiwi-Miss de Buisson) finished second ahead of 19.3/1 Ufana Nonantaise (8f Keridu du Donjon-Info Nonantaise) with Eric Raffin up.
Also at Laval the Prix de la Societe du Cheval Francais (purse €30,000m monte, 2875 meters, 13 European starters) went to the 1.14.6kr winner Orione Spin (8g Viking Kronos-Karisma Zet) at 12.2/1 for Antoine Wiels. Lutfi Kolgjini owns and trains Orione Spin. 4.7/1 Vittorio de Carly (7g Quaro-Gamine des Sarts) was second for Guillaume Martin with third to 38/1 Va Vole dy Lys.
Sunday March 20 kicks off the first Drivers Cup competition between the five driver teams from France and the USA. Pierre Vercruysse captains the FR team and Jason Bartlett leads Team USA. The FR team includes Matthieu Abrivard, Nicolas Ensch, Franck Ouvrie, Pierre Levesque and captain Vercruysse. The USA group includes captain Bartlett (a winner of over 6,000 races), Jordan Stratton, Tyler Buter, Pat Lachance and Daniel Dube. The second Drivers Cup round will take place in Paris on June 24 and June 26.
Thomas H. Hicks