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News In Brief of French Racing and Trotting - 24th August 2022.
This week the News In Brief includes the winner of the 2018 G1 Prix du Cadran, Call The Wind, British trainer Andrew Hetherton and Montier-en-Der racetrack.
Flat
Finishing ninth place in the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (Gr2) Call the Wind has since been retired. Winner of the 2018 Prix du Cadran, Call The Wind then finished third in the Dubai Gold Cup (Gr2) and second in the Qatar Prix du Cadran (Gr1) in 2019. He also won the inaugural running of the Turf Handicap at the Saudi Cup meeting. In total, Call the Wind won six races and reached the top three in no less than eight Group races.
It was a first runner and first winner in France for British trainer Andrew Hetherton when Checkandchallenge raced at Deauville on Saturday. Hetherton comes from a large racing family. His great-grandfather, John Hetherton, was one of the founding members of the Racehorse Owners Association. The Checkandchallenge success was at Group level while previously went well in a Listed race at Newcastle (UK).
Currently employed at André Fabre's stable, César Belmont won his first race at Le Touquet on Saturday when he partnered Fresh Kiss, trained by Christopher Head. César Belmont has won twelve races as an amateur rider including six against the jockeys. Only eighteen, he obtained his professional license in June but then fell in a race at Orleans suffering a fractured vertebra which has side-lined him for almost two months.
On Saturday in Niigata (Japan), Via Luce managed to win a debutantes two-year-old contest over 1,200m providing a first victory in Japan for stallion Almanzor. Based at Haras d'Étreham, this was his second runner in the country. Very much a French bred horse, Via Luce is from Via Firenze who was by Medicean and won a Listed race over 1800m at Clairefontaine before placing in two Group Three contests over 1800m & 2100m. She was also placed in a Meydan (UAE) G2 event.
Last Saturday's winner of the Prix du Calvados (Gr2) Wed currently does not hold an entry in Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr1) and whilst there is an opportunity of supplementing, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Gr1) is favoured as a target race.
Star of the stable of Jean-Claude Seroul, Skalleti had problems attempting the Prix Ganay (Gr1) in May. He is entered for the Qatar Prix Dollar (Gr2) on Saturday 1 October, but only been quietly coming back into work so time might be against him.
Trotting
On August 20, 2017, Montier-en-Der racetrack played host to Face Time Bourbon making his winning debut. Five years later, Face Time Bourbon is still present at this racecourse with a race named in his honour reserved for two-year-olds. It therefore only seems fitting that one of his offspring win the inaugural running of the race and this year debutant Kaptain du Liamone saluted giving Face Time Bourbon his first winner as a sire in France. In winning he recorded a kilometre rating time of 1'18"6 driven by Alexis Prat and trained by Frédéric Prat.
The final heat of the Trophée Vert series was conducted on Sunday ahead of the final to be run at Craon on Monday, 5 September. Jean-François Senet won the thirteenth stage with Funky d'Alb. He defeated General du Nord, while Flash du Vouede was third. Exauce Nous, undefeated this year, finished fourth. The winner rated 1'18"3.
A challenge organised by the Irish Harness Racing Association, saw victory to the French delegation. Five French drivers travelled to Cork to compete in two events against the Irish. Franck Ouvrie won the first race and Charley Mottier took second with a French trotter born in Ireland. The second race, Erno Szirmay won finishing ahead of Franck Ouvrie. For the French it was a clean sweep of the races!
