Idao de Tillard prevails under heavy urging
by Thomas Hedlund
Idao de Tillard (Severino) was the heavy favorite in Sunday’s (June 21) $220,000 Prix René Ballière at Vincennes and, in the hands of Clément Duvaldestin, the dual Prix d’Amérique winner got the job done after controlling the race virtually from start-to-finish.
Duvaldestin was allowed to dictate an unusually soft pace aboard the superstar, who had just returned from a trip to Sweden for the Elitlopp, where he lost all chance with a break in the final. In hindsight, it may have been fortunate that Idao de Tillard was not forced into a more demanding trip at Vincennes.
The pace was pedestrian through the middle stages before the race turned into a sprint home. The final kilometer was reportedly covered at a 1:49 mile-rate clip, and Duvaldestin had to work hard in the stretch to keep his champion focused. Under strong urging, Idao de Tillard held on by a narrow margin in 1:56.3 over 2,700 meters.
“It almost felt like we were standing still during the middle part of the race,” said Duvaldestin. “At one point I even felt as if we were going backwards. When I looked at the timer, we were going in a 2:01 pace. With horses of this caliber, there is nothing to gain by going that slowly. He had plenty left, but I still had to ask him for that extra effort because he doesn’t really do anything on his own. When he’s on the lead, I have to stay after him much more than when he’s attacking from behind. I wasn’t comfortable at all turning for home. But at the wire he wasn’t even tired. Sometimes the way he races almost makes you laugh.”
The victory was Idao de Tillard’s second major success of 2026. Earlier this spring he captured the Group 1 $220,000 Prix de l’Atlantique at Enghien.
Replay here.
NOCIVE DU CHOQUEL DOMINATES PRIX ALBERT VIEL
Nocive du Choquel delivered a breathtaking performance in the Group 1 $220,000 Prix Albert Viel for 3-year-olds and completely outclassed her rivals. From third-over, François Lagadeuc launched his move with 900 meters remaining aboard the daughter of Face Time Bourbon. Within 200 meters she had reached pacesetter Normandie Niemen, immediately applying relentless pressure. The leader was beaten midway around the final turn and, once straightened for home, Nicolas Bridault’s filly simply disappeared from her opposition.
Nocive du Choquel stopped the clock in a track-record 1:54.4 mile rate over 2,700 meters, lowering the previous mark set by Lombok Jiel in 2024 by six-10ths of a second.
“She is an absolute pleasure to drive,” said Lagadeuc. “She’s a complete trotter with everything you could ask for. When you go to the races with her, you know you have a chance to fight for the top spots. I’m very happy for Nicolas and his entire team.”
The victory was her second Group 1 triumph. Earlier in her career she captured the $220,000 Criterium des Jeunes, along with the semi-classics Prix Une de Mai and Prix Gelinotte.
Trainer Nicolas Bridault reflected on her development, “At first she was just an ordinary horse. We qualified her and she still didn’t look like anything special. But then she started winning — and doing it impressively. Once we began aiming at the major races, she proved she belonged among the very best of her generation. She’s exceptional and you can always trust her to give everything she has.”
Replay here.
MOUSTIK LA GOVELLE CLAIMS FRENCH MONTE DERBY
A dramatic stretch battle highlighted the $260,000 Prix du Président de la République, one of France’s premier monte classics.
Moustik la Govelle (Discours Joyeux) took command with one kilometer remaining and trainer/rider Damien Bonne had to keep his mount fully focused through the stretch as Météore de Simm charged up the inside. Moustik la Govelle dug in gamely and held on to score in 1:56.3 over 2,850 meters.
Replay here.
LIONHEART CAPTURES PRIX DE NORMANDIE
Earlier on the card, Lionheart (Falcao de Laurma) captured the $260,000 Prix de Normandie for 5-year-olds under saddle.
For much of the race it appeared that Lemon Fleury would take the prize after assuming command one lap from home. However, Eric Raffin angled Lionheart into the clear in the stretch and Nicolas Bazire’s trainee proved strongest in the final strides.
Lionheart prevailed in 1:56.1 over 2,850 meters, continuing another outstanding day for the Raffin-Bazire combination.
Replay here.
SECRET VENUS CRUSHES AUSTRIAN DERBY
There was no suspense in the $60,000 Austrian Derby at Krieau Racetrack in Vienna on Sunday (June 21).
Secret Venus (Baltimore As—Severine Hanover), driven by Christoph Schwarz, moved from third-over with 1,300 meters remaining and powered to the lead with more than a lap to race.
By the backstretch she and favorite Ivana Venus had separated themselves from the field, but turning for home it became a one-horse race.
The Robert Gramüller-trained 4-year-old drew away in dominant fashion to establish a new race record of 1:58.4 over 2,600 meters, shaving one-10th-of-a-second off the mark set by Mona Lisa Venus in 2024.
Secret Venus was simply in a different league on the day, delivering one of the most impressive performances seen in the Austrian classic in recent years.
