Statistic Of The Week of French Trotting News - 27th January 2022.
This Sunday marks the last weekend in January, and that can only mean one thing, the G1 Grand Prix d'Amérique (2700m).
The G1 Grand Prix d'Amérique (2700m) is an international Group One race reserved for horses aged four-to-eleven, excluding geldings, having won at least €180,000. Winners of the G1 Critérium Continental (2100m) and G1 Prix Ténor de Baune (2700m) both automatically qualify, alongside the top-three finishers in the G2 Prix de Bretagne (2700m), G2 Prix du Bourbonnais (2850m), G2 Prix de Bourgogne (2100m) and G2 Prix de Belgique (2850m).
The late withdrawal of expected race favourite and hat-trick seeking Face Time Bourbon brings a different dimension to the race. Those who will be looking to capitalise on the champions unfortunate left foreleg injury include Davidson du Pont, Etonnant, Hohneck, Délia du Pommereux, Galius, Ganay de Banville and Bahia Quesnot.
The table below looks at how the six qualifying races stack up in producing G1 Grand Prix d'Amérique (2700m) winners. It is worth noting that in 2015 the G1 Prix Ténor de Baune (2700m) took place in January so for convenience, two editions have been noted in the table.
Face Time Bourbon dominated in recent years. It is interesting that he has qualified in the first three of the qualifying six races perhaps allowing more time for preparation. That said, both Readly Express (Q4 G1 Prix Ténor de Baune (2700m) in 2017) and Bold Eagle (Q6 G2 Prix de Belgique (2850m) in 2016) won latter qualifying races prior to following up in the G1 Grand Prix d'Amérique (2700m), providing hope for this year's contenders Cokstile and Feydeau Seven.
It is also worth considering that a nine-year-old has not won the race since Maharajah (SWE) in 2014 and Bélina Josselyn is the only mare to have taken out the feature since American raider Moni Maker won in 1999. Rebella Matters will be looking to change that statistic after qualifying third in the G2 Prix du Bourbonnais (2850m). The Sebastian Guarato-trained Billie de Montfort will also be trying to buck the trend, though as an eleven-year-old has plenty going against her. Five and six-year-olds have won five of the last six renewals making the likes of Galius, Hohneck, Don Fanucci Zet, Gu d'Heripre and Ganay de Banville of obvious interest.
