by Thomas Hedlund

French trainer Thierry Duvaldestin continues to prove his skills in the harness racing business and now that French-bred trotters named with the letter M (2-year-olds) are hitting the track, it seems like Duvaldestin has produced another top trotter.

Théo Duvaldestin sat behind his father’s Mack de Blary (Face Time Bourbon) in Saturday’s (Dec.14) $125,000 Prix Emmanuel Margouty at Vincennes and the duo had to settle in fifth over, while leader Monzon Normand kept the pace at an even level pretty much throughout the whole race.

With a kilometer to go, Mack de Blary got a signal from his driver and he had to race three wide the rest of the way. That didn’t bother Mack de Blary, who sprinted to a safe win in a mile rate of 2:00.4 over 1.6 miles. This was Mack de Blary’s fourth consecutive win and Thierry can look forward to more wins before the winter meeting in Paris is over.

PROMISING TROTTERS IN MILAN

Milan played host to two divisions of the $190,000 Gran Premio Allevatori on Saturday (Dec. 14). In the fillies’ event, Giovaz (Maharajah) was outstanding from the lead. Giovaz was sent to the front by Antonio di Nardo and when di Nardo stepped on the pedal in the last turn, Giovaz left her opponents several lengths behind and she came home in 2:02 over 1.3 miles.

The colts’ race included an already well known 2-year-old trotter. Philippe Allaire’s Ginostrabliggi (Muscle Hill), driven by Gabriele Gelormini, hit the lead as the car left the field and the race looked like the fillies’ event in many ways. Gelormini let Ginostrabliggi trot away from the opponents in the last turn and the victory was superior in a mile rate of 2:00 over 1.3 miles.

SAN MOTEUR IMPRESSED AT ÅBY

Björn Goop-trained San Moteur finished second in the first B-race in Paris, the Prix de Bretagne, earlier this winter and secured his spot in the 2025 Prix d’Amérique 2025. On Saturday (Dec. 14) night, he impressed a lot in the Swedish Gold division $40,000 Legolas Minne over 1.3 miles.

From post 10, in the second line behind the gate, San Moteur found a position in fourth over and when tough opponents Barack Face and Önas Prince fought over the front position with a kilometer remaining in the race, Goop could wait for a three-wide attack until the last time the field went down the backstretch. When Goop fired away with San Moteur, the opponents looked like extras, without any chances of defending themselves. Before the last turn, San Moteur reached the lead and won easily by 50 meters over runner-up Dancer Brodde.

The mile rate of 1:55.1 over 1.3 miles looked like a training jog for San Moteur and he will be a serious name leading up to the Prix d’Amérique in January.