by Thomas Hedlund

French harness racing is stronger than ever and the breeding in France has developed to a level where top trotters are widely born.

At Vincennes on Saturday (Jan. 6) in the $125,000 Prix Maurice de Gheest for 3-year-old horses, Luciano Menuet (Feliciano) showed great ability in a safe wire-to-wire win in a stakes record time of 2:00 over 1.3 miles.

Without a doubt, Luciano Menuet belongs in the top of the French L-crop and the meeting in Paris where fans have a new “crack” (super trotter) to cheer for during the remaining weeks of high-quality racing at Vincennes.

The significantly older trotter Face Time (Coktail Jet) hit the lead in Sunday’s (Jan. 7) $100,000 Prix de Lille and Matthieu Abrivard’s 9-year-old gelding claimed his fourth consecutive win at Vincennes in a mile rate of 1:54.2 over 1.3 miles.

Four-year-old trotters battled in the $125,000 Prix Charles Tiercelin the same day and William Bigeon trained Kyrielle (Enino du Pommereux) upset more merited horses after a third over trip.

Favorite Koctel du Dain had the advantage in the race as the field turned for home, but Kyrielle finished rapidly three wide in the stretch and the 4-year-old mare put her nose first at the wire, in a mile rate of 1:58.4 over 1.6 miles.

Bigeon had a nice day at work on Sunday. Benjamin Rochard was entrusted behind Bigeon’s 3-year-old Lousiane de Bomo (Ready Cash) in the $125,000 Prix Gelinotte for fillies and the duo found space between horses in mid-stretch, which resulted in the win in a mile rate of 1:58.1 over 1.3 miles.

NO SAN MOTEUR IN PDA

Björn Goop’s San Moteur, who won the B-race Prix du Bourbonnais in December, will not enter the Prix d’Amérique on Jan. 28 due to a fracture in a splint bone. This was announced by the Goop stable on Tuesday (Jan. 9) at noon.

The last chance to capture a spot in Prix d’Amérique by qualifying races will take place on Sunday (Jan. 14), in the $125,000 Prix de Belgique.

On Wednesday night, many top horses were still in the Sunday race, but the definitive entries list was not ready on Thursday afternoon so there could have been some changes regarding horses entering the Prix de Belgique.

PROBABLE HORSES FOR THE PRIX DE BELGIQUE:

Hohneck

Delia du Pommereux

Cokstile

Hooker Berry

Idao de Tillard

Hail Mary

Moni Viking

Italiano Vero

Go On Boy

Zarenne Fas

Izoard Vedaquais

Hussard du Landret

Fakir du Lorault

Hokkaido Jiel

Beads

Inmarosa

Great Skills

Ganay de Banville

JOVIALITY TO RACE ON SATURDAY AT VINCENNES

In Saturday’s (Jan. 13) $125,000 Prix de Croix for 4-year-old horses, Joviality will make her second attempt at Vincennes. Benjamin Rochard will drive Sabine Kagebrant’s and Courant Stable’s 4-year-old mare in the race where several high-quality trotters will gather around the black track of Vincennes over the distance of 2,850 meters. 

Jushua Tree, Just A Gigolo and Just Love You are some of the strongest opponents to Joviality, who most probably will be aimed towards the Prix Bold Eagle on the weekend of the Prix d’Amérique.