Bold Eagle returns; kidnapped Italian horses alive?

by Thomas Hedlund

French star Bold Eagle (Ready Cash) will return to the racetrack on Sunday (Nov. 19).

In the Prix d’Amérique preparation race the $142,000 Prix de Bretagne, the 6-year-old son of Ready Cash takes his first step towards another triumph in the biggest race in Europe.

Fifteen horses are engaged in Prix de Bretagne and even though Bold Eagle was defeated by the gelding Aubrion du Gers in the last start, he will most certainly be heavy favorite when he returns. Bold Eagle’s trainer Sébastien Guarato has four horses in the race at Vincennes, Paris on Sunday. Billie de Montfort, Booster Winner and Valko Jenilat will join Bold Eagle from the stable of France’s top trainer.

Prix de Bretagne is the first out of four ”B-races” before Prix d’Amérique in January. The first three horses in each B-race are qualified for the big happening in Paris.

Here’s the field:

1. Day or Night In – Johan Untersteiner
2. Shadow Gar – Pietro Gubellini
3. Uza Josselyn – Alexandre Abrivard (trainer: René Aebischer)

4. Best of Jets – Tony Le Beller (Jean Michel Baudouin)

5. Charly du Noyer – Yoann Lebourgeois (Philippe Allaire)
6. Ave Avis – Matthieu Abrivard (Jean-Michel Bazire)

7. Olmo Holz – Christophe Martens (Vincent Martens)

8. Booster Winner – Mathieu Mottier (Sébastien Guarato)

9. Valko Jenilat – Eric Raffin (Sébastien Guarato)
10. Belina Josselyn – Jean-Michel Bazire
11. Akim du Cap Vert – Franck Anne
12. Voltigeur de Myrt – Lorenzo Donati (Roberto Donati)
13. Bird Parker – Jean Philippe Monclin (Philippe Allaire)
14. Billie de Montfort – David Thomain (Sébastien Guarato)

15. Bold Eagle – Franck Nivard (Sébastien Guarato)

Arrests made in Italian kidnapping case

In Italy, two persons were arrested on Tuesday morning, regarding the kidnapping of last year’s Derby winner Unicka.

Unicka and stablemate Vampire Dany disappeared from their boxes at trainer Erik Bondo’s farm in Italian region Toscana on March 7 this year and have still not been found.

The Italian website gaet.it reported that the prosecutors in Pisa have told the press that they are sure that the two horses are still alive and Italian police are searching for them in the south part of the country.