This last day of the Paris-Vincennes Winter Meet was quite a card. The Gr. I Prix de Selection (€240,000 purse, 2200 meters) went to the outstanding Bold Eagle (4m Ready Cash-Reethi Rah Jet-Love You) for Franck Nivard, trainer Sebastian Guarato and owner Pierre Pilarski.
The easy victory was his 10th straight and 13th victory in 15 career appearances. Lifetime earnings of the winner now total €522,800 as the 2/5 favorite scored in 1.11.4kr off solid fractions (1.10.4kr at 1500 and 1000, 1.12kr at 500). Guarato trainees took the next two spots with 3.8/1 Billie de Montfort (4f Jasmin de Flore-Quisnay de Montfort) second for Eric Raffin with third to Bocage d’Ortige (4m Mirage du Goutier-Providence d’Ortige) and teamster Mathieu Abrivard ay 66/1 odds. Bold Eagle
The Prix de L’Union Europeenne (Gr. II, €160,000 purse, 12 starters, 3000 meters) went to 9/1 Akim de Cap Vert (5m First de Retz-Prima du Cap Vert-Cezio Joselyn) for owner, trainer, driver Franck Anne.
The long-striding chestnut scored his eighth win for earnings of €822,380. Sweden took the next two sports with 16/1 Chelsea Boko (6m Chocolatier-Kelsea Boko) second for reinsman Jorma Kontio and trainer Timo Nurmos. Pacesetter and 2/1 favorite On Track Piraten (7g Kool du Caux-Monrovia) held on for third with Erik Adielsson up for H.R. Stromberg. Voltigeur de Myrt and Vabellino were next across the line.
The winner was clocked in 1.14.1kr off modest fractions (1.16.2kr at 1500, 1.14.9kr at 100, 1.14.8kr at 500), closing stoutly. Akim de Cap Vert and Franck Anne
The Gr. III Prix Henri Desmontils (€120,000 purse, 2850 meters, nine monte starters) went to 1.1/1 favorite Uppercut de Manche (7g Neutron du Cebe-Nuit du Manche-Coktail Jet) with Damien Bonne up for trainer Thierry Raffegeau) as the 21 time winner of €813,900) defeated 31/1 Texas de L’iton (8g Cygnus d’Odysse-Iliad de L’iton) and Yoann Lebourgeois up for trainer Hughes Levesque.
Veteran Torre Crepin (8g Capriccio-Lanaka) was third in the event, with the winner clocked in 1.13.7kr.
The Gr. II Prix Louis le Bourg (€120,000, 2850 meters, 10 monte starters) ended in victory for the Anthony Dollion owned, trained and reined Bikini des Molands (4m Gai Brillant0Quiches des Molands) at 15/1 odds and clocked in 1.15.3kr. Favorite 1.1/1 odds Best of Jets (4m Magnificent Rodney-Plume Jets) ended second for Eric Raffin and Biscuit Delavara (4m Ludo de Castelle-Meva du Rosita) was third at 5/1 for Clement Fercella.Bikini des Molands
Italian invader Nuage en Ciel (8m Daguet Rapide-Pretty Perle-Extreme Dream) took the €2.3 million jackpot Quinte+ Prix de Montsareau (€70,000 purse, European, 2100 meters autostart, 17 starters) clocked in 1.12kr for J-M Bazire. The 1.6/1 favorite is trained by Fabrice Souloy for Scuderia Fast Horse Srl.
This 17 time winner of €284,865 earned was bred by J-P Dubois’ Scuderia Bolgheri Srl. Second went to 21/1 Uranie Lorraine (7f Goetmals Wood-Garonnaise) and Franck Nivard. 11/1 Ta Falko Sax (9g Nohilis Jet-Nafalko) was third for Franck Ouvrie and trainer J.L Dersoir.
The great card that concluded the Meeting d’Hivier also included the Prix d’Alencon (€85,000, European, 2700 meters, 14 starters) that resulted in victory for Vaisseau (6g Le Retour-Nansissa Santonne) with J.L. Cl. Dersoir up for trainer Jean Pierre Viel. The 1.4/1 favorite scored in 1.14.6kr to vanquish Italy’s Roxanne Bar (5f Expoloit Caf-Guendalenma Bar) trained by Cat Savaresse with Alexandre Abrivard aboard.
That 18/1 outsider pushed 7/1 Varum Boy (6m Baccarat du Pont-Hawai Girl) to the third spot for Eric Raffin and trained Yves Dreux.
Racing at Paris-Vincennes resumes in two weeks with the start of night programs on Tuesday and Friday.
by Thomas H. Hicks, for Harnesslink.com