by Thomas Hedlund

Prix d’Amérique winner Hooker Berry will be the horse to chase and beat when Vincennes’ Sunday (Feb. 12) card contains the $420,000 Prix de France over 2,100 meters.

Jean-Michel Bazire will not drive Prix d’Amérique winner Hooker Berry this time. His son Nicolas takes the reins instead and Jean-Michel will sit behind American-bred Prix du Luxembourg winner Beads.

2,100 METERS, AUTOSTART

Horse – Driver – Trainer

1. Don Fanucci Zet – Örjan Kihlström – Daniel Redén

2. Hohneck – Francois Lagadeuc – Philippe Allaire

3. Hooker Berry – Nicolas Bazire – Jean-Michel Bazire

4. Vivid Wise As – Matthieu Abrivard – Alessandro Gocciadoro

5. Ampia Mede Sm – Franck Nivard – Fabrice Souloy

6. Fado du Chene – Paul-Philippe Ploquin – Julien Le Mer

7. Vernissage Grif – Alessandro Gocciadoro -Alessandro Gocciadoro

8. Cokstile – Christophe Martens – Gennaro Casillo

9. Delia du Pommereux – Pierre-Yves Verva – Sylvain Roger

10. Beads – Jean-Michel Bazire – Jean-Michel Bazire

11. Go On Boy – Romain Derieux – Roman Derieux

12. Decoloration – Gabriele Gelormini – Jean-Michel Baudouin

13. Horsy Dream – Eric Raffin – Pierre Bellochi

14. Dear Friend – Anthony Barrier – Marcus Lindgren

15. Honey Mearas – Björn Goop – Daniel Redén

16. Gu d’Heriprie – Benjamin Rochard – Fabrice Souloy

17. Hip Hop Haufor – Christian Bigeon – Christian Bigeon

18. Imhatra Am – Mats E Djuse – Jörgen Westholm

MAHARAJAH AND READY CASH TOPS AMONG EUROPE’S SIRES

Maharajah continues to dominate the sire ranks in Sweden, Finland and The Netherlands. The Viking Kronos son claimed his third-consecutive title in his native country in outstanding style in 2022.

Ready Cash was the runner up in Sweden and the French top sire held on to another win in his home country, even if he had his worst year as a sire since his first champion title.

Ready Cash’s biggest wins as a sire in 2022 came from Flamme du Goutier’s triumph in the $725,000 Prix de Cornulier; Ideal du Pommeau’s victory in the $415,000 European Derby and Italiano Ver’s win in the $315,000 Criterium des 4 ans.

Moni Viking was Maharajah’s best offspring last season. He claimed two Group 1 races and collected some $270,000 for his bank account. Maharajah’s vast crops, particularly in Sweden, makes him hard to push off the throne and we will probably see him in the top spot when 2023 sums up.

However, Ready Cash will face increasingly tougher competition in France and how the list looks in that country next year is a little more unpredictable.

SIRE STATISTICS

FRANCE

Stallion – Starts – Wins – Earnings

1. Ready Cash – 1,602 – 181 – $5,798,999

2. Royal Dream – 1,425 – 157 – $4,823,945

3. Love You – 1,659 – 168 – $4,604,930

4. Prodigious – 1,765 – 183 – $4,405,297

5. Village Mystic – 1,499 – 164 – $3,483,776

SWEDEN

Stallion – Starts – Wins – Earnings

1. Maharajah – 3,374 – 487 – $5,481,134

2. Ready Cash – 1,597 – 276 – $3,332,475

3. S.J.’s Caviar – 2,693 – 341 – $3,303,469

4. Muscle Hill – 1,394 – 248 – $3,001,184

5. Readly Express – 984 – 193 – $2,210,238

DENMARK

Stallion – Starts – Wins – Earnings

1. Ens Snapshot – 1,624 – 149 – $652,767

2. Wishing Stone – 516 – 59 – $599,524

3. Great Challenger – 1,387 – 134 – $559,667

4. S.J.’s Caviar – 423 – 70 – $433,082

5. Maharajah – 239 – 44 – $215,708

FINLAND

Stallion – Starts – Wins – Earnings

1. Maharajah – 712 – 140 – $1,155,563

2. Zola Boko – 1,083 – 112 – $648,188

3. Lexus Font – 662 – 67 – $647,694

4. Quite Easy – 1,007 – 116 – $646,306

5. Djali Boko – 8 – 5 – $566,352

NORWAY

Stallion – Starts – Wins – Earnings

1. Quite Easy – 302 – 30 – $1,005,663

2. Maharajah – 541 – 97 – $884,222

3. Dream Vacation – 513 – 53 – $746,008

4. Orlando Vici – 1,010 – 110 – $609,535

5. S.J.’s Caviar – 349 – 43 – $356,859

ITALY

Stallion – Earnings

1. Varenne – $3,648,451

2. Nad al Sheba – $2,304,739

3. Maharajah – $1,984,884

4. Exploit Caf – $1,237,508

5. Ideale Luis – $1,182,456

GERMANY

Stallion – Earnings

1. S.J.’s Caviar – $436,930

2. Muscle Hill – $364,133

3. Conway Hall – $320,262

4. Love You – $283,795

5. Pastor Stephen – $258,723

THE NETHERLANDS

Stallion – Earnings

1. Maharajah – $127,733

2. Offshore Dream – $118,599

3. Quick Wind – $93,547

4. Ufo Kievitshof – $90,658

5. Broadway Fortuna – $71,843

AUSTRIA

Stallion – Earnings

1. Light Kronos – $175,183

2. Incredible Hulk – $93,748

3. Maharajah – $76,302

4. Charly du Noyer – $68,341

5. Celebration XL – $65,341