News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 30th November 2022.
This week the News In Brief includes the Japan Cup (G1) in Tokyo last Sunday, Cagnes-sur-Mer racecourse and the final round of the Grand National du Trot.
Trotting
The final round of the Grand National du Trot heats was run at Mauquenchy last Wednesday with Gamay de l'Iton proving to be the strongest runner and in so doing gave trainer Hugues Levesque a first-time winner on the circuit. Having his first participation in the 2022 GNT circuit, Levesque's six-year-old scored with authority. This victory gave him a third career G3.
The Table after the fourteen provincial track running's and ahead of this Sunday's G2 final at Vincennes is (in points order):
1. EIRE D'HELIOS
2. ECHO DE CHANLECY
3. DJANGO DU BOCAGE
4. FREYJA DU PONT
5. FRAGONARD DELO
6. FARRELL SEVEN
7. FARAH DES CAUX
8. GIROLAMO
9. EDY DU POMMEREUX
10. FAKIR DE MAHEY
Winning a mounted contest on Greta (Rieussec) last Sunday at Le Croisé-Laroche, Alexandre Abrivard recorded his 300th victory of the year. He is a clear leader of the Etrier d'Or and is (at the time of writing) 16 wins ahead of Eric Raffin.
French trotting breeding season for next year will see a minimum of 267 stallions offered. The top end of the market, with sires priced at €10,000 and above, will comprise of twenty-three horses including the two privately priced sires Ready Cash and Face Time Bourbon. This is a higher number offered compared with 2022. The top price registered stallions are:
Idéal du Pommeau (Ready Cash) - €12.000
Izoard Védaquais (Bird Parker) - €10.000
Just A Gigolo (Boccador de Simm) - €9.000
Idao de Tillard (Sévérino) - €8.000
Héraut d'Armes (Ready Cash) - €7.000
Jaguar Griff (Love You) - €5.000
Hatchet Man (Goetmals Wood) - €4.500
Handy Bourbon (Kaisy Dream) - €3.500
Hip Hop Haufor (Up And Quick) - €3.500
Flat
Three French horses competed in the Japan Cup (G1) in Tokyo last Sunday. It was a slowly run race, with traffic jams and a sprint home where Grand Glory finished best in sixth placing. The race pacemaker was Unicorn Lion with French Simca Mille in second, however he failed to progress managing fifteenth. Grand Glory positioned toward the rear of the field and was held up then ran on for sixth beaten three and three-quarter lengths. Onesto was caught on the rail, mid-field and failed to gain a clear passage. He was beaten a further neck behind Grand Glory.
Cagnes-sur-Mer racecourse has undergone a redevelopment of the All-Weather surface. Trainers Christophe Escuder and Jérôme Reynier trialled horses with jockeys Gregory Benoit and Antonio Orani in attendance last Friday morning testing the new polytrack surface. First use of the new surface will be in six weeks on January 16 at the commencement of the Cote-d'Azur Winter Flat Meeting.
Last Saturday week at the Australian provincial racetrack of Ballarat (approximately 100km from Melbourne) ex-French horse Green Fly won The Haymarket over 1400m, a handicap with €46,150 going to the winner. The colt left France after his third in the Derby du Midi (L) when carrying the silks of Jean-Louis Bouchard. He is raced by OTI Racing, and this was his second start since arriving in Australia. Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman he was still last when entering the home-straight and came with a run on the grandstand side to win by a half-length.
Jumping
Trained in France by Anne-Sophie Pacault bearing the colours of Walter B Connors, novice jumper Jolie Coeur Allen has been sold and is to race in Ireland. The three-year-old will now be seen wearing the colours of prominent owner J. P. McManus. With only one French start, she finished second at Fontainebleau in September beaten three-quarters of a length.
