Horse Racing Results

Prix du Bourbonnais 2009 | Preliminary event to 2010 Prix d’Amerique

PRIX DU BOURBONNAIS 2009 – 2009-12-12 – Group II – International Event with a total € 110,000 earnings – Harness Racing – 2,850 m, Long track. Earnings shared as follows : 1st : € 55,000 , 2nd: : € 27,500 , 3rd : € 14,300 , 4th : € 6,600 €, 5th : € 3,300 €, 6th : € 2,200 €, 7th : € 1,100 €. For racehorses aged 4 to 9 included, except geldings, with a minimum € 160,000 earnings – a 25 m handicap for racehorses who have earned € 1,025,000 or more. Only drivers who have won at least 35 races including 10 harness racing events will be allowed in the competition. Priority to compete in the Prix du Bourbonnais is given to the Prix de Bretagne winner. The Prix du Bourbonnais is a qualifying preliminary event to 2010 Prix d’Amérique (see the details for qualification). See also: 2010 Prix de Bourgogne, and 2010 Prix de Belgique.

After the Prix de Bretagne won by Orlando Sport ahead of Quarla, today’s event was the second preliminary event to 2010 Prix d’Amérique. After 150 m, Oyonnax takes the lead along with favourite Quarla at his outside. Première Steed and Swedish trotter Glen Kronos immediately follow in their trail.

As for Paris Haufor and Christian Bigeon they have no choice but to go to the outside. As the racehorses pass by the stands, 2009 Prix d’Amérique winner Meaulnes du Corta brings up the rear. Further up, Paris Haufor’s fruitful effort takes him up into the leading pack. Down the slope, Quarla dethrones Oyonnax and thus takes the lead ahead of Première Steed and Glen Kronos.

The competitors seem to be watching one another as they gently trot at a 1’15’’/km before going for the slope with Quarla still in the lead. Before passing by the little wood, Paris Haufor unconvincingly speeds up at the outside.

500 m away from the finish, Quarla leads a decidedly quiet pack. – Oyonnax seems to be going very easily, Orlando Sport comes closer very fast and Olga du Biwetz closes in too, as a fault puts Niky and Glen Kronos out of the race.

As the horses head for the straightway, despite the long awaited intensification of attacks, Quarla valiantly fights for her position – Orlando Sport makes an attempt to keep up with her, but it is Oyonnax who will resolutely go for the first position and fight for victory till the very end. At the finish, Franck Nivard’s darling horse beats by an inch Oyonnax who does pretty well toward the end of the race. Further behind, Paris Haufor takes the 3rd position ahead of Olga du Biwetz and Infinitif (Infinitif will be disqualified after verification).

What conclusions can we draw from this second preliminary event to the Prix d’Amérique? Well, Quarla confirms her worth in the Prix de Bretagne, the same goes for Orlando Sport whose trainer Roger Coueffin made it more or less understood that his racehorse would only be pushed into effort in the last 500 m. As a matter of fact, Orlando Sport is already prepared enough 45 days before the end of January’s major event.

Roger Coueffin is extremely careful not to use up his horse and wishes to keep him in good form in order to gently increase the pressure by the time the big day comes. I personally think that Olga du Biwetz who took the start with a 25m handicap did a much better performance than in the Prix de Bretagne. She equaled the record on this event: 1’13’’3 by Mara Bourbon in 2005.

Meaulnes du Corta, who also had a 25m handicap, finished the race at a 1’13’’9/km, which is what 3rd position Paris Haufor achieved. Ranking by points: The Prix de Bretagne, du Bourbonnais, de Belgique and de Bourgogne, called the 4 « Bs », are preliminary events to the Prix d’Amérique. They provide a means of selection of horses who are to compete in the Prix d’Amérique. The scale is as follows: the racehorse who finishes first in each event scores 9 points, the second scores 6 points, the 3rd horse 4 points, the 4th 2 points, and the racehorse who finishes 5th scores 1 point. At the end of the 4 « Bs », the first 4 horses in the ranking by points are automatically granted access to competing in the Prix d’Amérique. After winning the Prix du Bourbonnais, QUARLA (photo) is in first place with a total 15 points. ORLANDO SPORT, who won the Prix de Bretagne, is in second position with 9 points, that is 3 points more than OYONNAX and OLGA DU BIWETZ, who are still in for qualification for the moment. Then come PARIS HAUFOR (4 points), PRODIGIOUS (2 points), ONE DU RIB and PREMIERE STEED, with 1 point each.

Events coming up soon: Prix de Bourgogne on Sunday 3 January, and Prix de Belgique on Sunday 17 January. Let us not stop there without mentioning what happened a little before the race started: Jos Verbeeck underwent a loss of consciousness after he was ejected from his sulky as his horse Perlando got panic-stricken and reared. He was more shaken than hurt but still, Jos Verbeeck was put under observation by Vincennes Racetrack medical team.

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