by Thomas Hedlund

Prix d’Amérique winner Idao de Tillard (Severino) is injured and will not be able to race for the rest of the Paris winter meeting.

Trainer Thierry Duvaldestin announced Wednesday (Feb. 5) that his champion trotter will miss the rest of the races in Paris due to a sprained ankle. That means that Sunday’s (Feb. 9) $400,000 Prix de France will miss its biggest name, the title defender Idao de Tillard.

“The winter meeting is over for him,” Duvaldestin said to French media Le Trot. “It’s a hard blow, but if we put it in perspective, he won the biggest race.”

The Prix de France, thought to be the biggest and most prestigious 1.3 miles race in the world, now includes some other big names, but unfortunately, the interest for the race was not as high this year as it has been in years past.

Balancing the bad news with something better, Horsy Dream, winner of Elitloppet and several other big races last season, may be back on track during the spring, according to his trainer Pierre Belloche. Horsy Dream unfortunately missed the entire winter meeting in Paris, due to an injury, but now it looks like he will return to Stockholm to try to defend his Elitloppet title at Solvalla in May.

With Idao de Tillard missing from Sunday’s Prix de France, at least two different horses will capture Grand Prix titles in Paris this year.

Link to the entries list here.

Link to the live races here.

$400,000 PRIX DE FRANCE 2025

2,100 meters

Horse — Driver

1. Ampia Mede Sm — Vincenzo d’Alessandro, Jr

2. Emeraude de Bais — Frank Nivard

3. Don Fanucci Zet — Paul-Philippe Ploquin

4. Go On Boy — Romain Derieux

5. Kilmister — Gabriele Gelormini

6. Inmarosa — Leo Abrivard

7. Banderas Bi — Eric Raffin

8. Hooker Berry — Nicolas Bazire

9. Hussard du Landret — Yoann Lebourgeois

10. Ideal Ligneries — Benjamin Rochard

11. Working Class Hero — Mathieu Mottier

12. Justin Bold — Pierre-Yves Verva

13. Hip Hop Haufour — Damien Bonne