Liberte de Choisel continues to impress at Vincennes
by Thomas Hedlund
Liberte de Choisel delivered another strong performance on Saturday (May 2), capturing the semi-classic $125,000 Prix Albert Demarcq for 5-year-olds at Vincennes.
Driven by Anthony Barrier, the Sylvain Dupont-trained mare moved to the lead with 1,700 meters to go. Turning for home, she kicked clear and drew away effortlessly to score in a mile rate of 1:56.3 over 2,850 meters.
Lombok Jiel broke stride with 50 meters remaining while holding second, and race favorite Lancier du Goutier also made an early break in the stretch. The runner-up spot instead went to L’As Desbois, with Learn To Fly finishing third.
Liberte de Choisel has now firmly established herself among the top of her generation, having earlier this year won the Group I Prix Bold Eagle, along with the semi-classic races the Prix Ariste Hémard and Prix Guy Le Gonidec.
IDYLLE EXPRESS POWERS HOME
Idylle Express produced a powerful performance to take the $90,000 Prix du Rouergue at Vincennes in a 1:51.4 mile rate over 2,100 meters.
After racing three-wide early, she advanced to the death seat (first-over) with about a mile to go before taking command with 700 meters remaining. The early pace was strong — Hurricane Carter set fractions of 1:22.2 for the first 1,200 meters — but none could challenge Mathieu Mottier’s mare in the stretch.
Hurricane Carter held second, with Indus Val third.
DREAM MINE SHINES IN SEASONAL DEBUT
Sweden’s 2025 Horse of the Year, Dream Mine (Maharajah), made a winning seasonal debut in the $50,000 Berth Johansson Memorial at Umåker.
Trained by Jörgen Westholm and driven by Mats Djuse, the 5-year-old started from post 7 and was taken back to last early. With a hot pace up front, Dream Mine sat fourth-over before launching a sweeping move 800 meters from home.
Despite a wide trip, he took command early in the stretch and won convincingly in a 1:53.3 mile rate over 2,140 meters.
“He felt a bit lazy early, but the pace was strong and he really accelerated through the final turn,” said Djuse. “It felt over pretty quickly in the stretch.”
After dominating his 4-year-old campaign, Dream Mine looks set for another big season — and could well be a candidate for Elitloppet.
MELLBY JINX WINS PARALYMPIATRAVET QUALIFIER
Daniel Wäjersten captured the final qualifier for the $300,000 Paralympiatravet at Åby with Mellby Jinx, who led gate-to-wire in a track-record 1:52.
Wäjersten had four starters in the race, and only Double Deceiver, driven by Örjan Kihlström, mounted a serious challenge from the death seat before tiring in the final turn.
Despite the victory, Mellby Jinx is not a confirmed starter in the final. Wäjersten has already announced that defending champion Borups Victory will skip the race to focus fully on Elitloppet — where he received his invitation later that evening. It will be his third consecutive appearance in the race.
FINLANDIA-AJO LINEUP GROWS
Another Wäjersten stable star, Gio Cash, has been invited to the $220,000 Finlandia-Ajo at Vermo Racetrack on May 10, where the winner earns an Elitloppet berth.
INVITED HORSES — FINLANDIA-AJO
Horse — Trainer
Combat Fighter — Antti Ojanperä
High On Pepper — Katja Melkko
Massimo Hoist — Jukka Hakkarainen
Diva Ek — Alessandro Gocciadoro
Keep Asking — Daniel Redén
Mellby Knekt — Timo Nurmos
Betting Pacer — Björn Goop
Need’em — Miika Tenhunen
Diamond Truppo — Hanna Lepistö
Gio Cash — Daniel Wäjersten
PARALYMPIATRAVET FIELD (SO FAR)
Francesco Zet — invited
Harley Gema — invited
Charron — invited
Daim Brodda – invited
Get A Wish — invited
Önas Prince — qualifier winner
H.C.’s Crazy Horse — qualifier winner
Kentucky River — qualifier winner
INVITED HORSES — ELITLOPPET 2026
A Fair Day — Sweden
Allegiant — Sweden
Borups Victory — Sweden
Go On Boy — France
Idao de Tillard — France
Inexess Bleu — France
Jabalpur — France
Jobspost — Sweden
Massimo Hoist — Finland
