LAST Sunday’s Group 1 Prix de Cornulier had a surreal feel to it just like so many sporting events at the moment.

As the cameras panned wide to take in 18 runners, the massive Vincennes stands looked eerily deserted. Alas, it will be the same for tomorrow’s Prix d’Amerique, which LeTROT markets as ‘the world championship of trotting’.

The race, sponsored this year by ZE Turf a gambling company) and equine feeds company Reverdy amongst others, was named in 1920 in honour of the American servicemen who came to the aid of France in WWI.

The Prix d’Amerique is a harness (attelé) event, whereas last week’s big race was a saddle affair. Even top horses can compete in both forms of racing. Trotters appear to go roughly two second per kilometre faster in sulky as opposed to with jockey.

Temptations

Since the close cooperation began between LeTROT and the IHRA, an increasing number of Irish horsemen have been making the trip every year. The temptations of French wine and cuisine and 40,000 harness enthusiasts gathered to see the best in Europe make for a fantastic weekend.

Irish fans may not be able to make the trip this year but LeTROT Live will show pictures. The Irish Field presents the following preview (which does not cover all the runners). We have the added bonus this year of input from Sean Kane who spoke to the paper on Monday night.

Sean, from The Naul is currently training two of his own four-year-olds at the yard of Philippe Billard in Normandy. Sean was hoping to qualify Hot To Trot and Happy Fifty on Wednesday, January 27th. He admits that the French turning start is hard to get used to for both horse and driver.

Sean also helps with the rest of the string, including Gu d’Heripre, a five-year-old stallion who was 18/1 fourth favourite for the Prix d’Amerique at the time of writing.

Here follows a combination of Sean’s thoughts on the main players in the big race, and some information which is in the public domain.

2021 Prix d’Amerique – The fancied runners

IT is fitting that Sean starts with his boss’ horse Gu d’Heripre. “I am enjoying driving the pacemaker for him in his fast work. He has loads of ability but it’s hard to get him to settle. He can come from behind or lead but he wouldn’t like to be covered up too much. He won the Criterium Continental, confined to five-year-olds to book his place.

“The boss (Billard) is confident and the only talk in the yard is about the Prix d’Amerique. I’ll hardly get up to Paris on the day because of the restrictions. Frank Nivard will drive and he has won the race five times already.”

Face Time Bourbon

Sean says: “He is still the horse to beat but he had a couple of tough races down in Italy. I just wonder is he as sharp this year? In saying that he won not one but two qualifiers. He was very good in the Prix de Bourbonnais on December 13th.” Face Time Bourbon will be driven as last year by Bjorn Goop, the ice-cool Swede.

Davidson Du Pont

In the Prix de Bourgogne Face Time Bourbon outslugged Davidson Du Pont in a brutal battle. Sean points out that: “Jean Michele Bazire has given Davidson Du Pont a very similar preparation to Bellina Josselyn when she won the race. The horse really improved when JMB got in the bike for the Prix de Belgique.” (January 18th).

Feerie Wood

Of the others Sean mentioned, Feerie Wood who won the Prix de Tenor de Baune (confined to six-year-olds). Kane would be pleased with a good showing by Feerie Wood because he has a foal in Ireland by the same stallion (Rockerfeller Center) and out of Venus De Zenith who often ran at Portmarnock.

Bahia Quesnot and Paola Guelpa, \JLL Le Trot

Bahia Quesnot

Sean spoke well of her: “I was delighted to see her win the Prix du Cornulier last weekend. She deserved it as she has raced in Sweden, America, everywhere. Matthieu Abrivard rides her in the saddle races but the trainer Junior Guelpa takes the reins in sulky races.”

Others to note

Delica De Pommereux is a nice mare but has been disqualified on occasions for galloping in the home straight, a major faux pas in the eyes of les commissionaires.

Vivid Wise As was fifth last year for Italian connections.

Power represents Sweden and ran well in horrible conditions recently.

Moni Viking is another Scandinavian entry and is trained by Pierre Vercruysse who has driven at Dundalk.

Jean Michele Bazire is like Aidan O’Brien in that his second and third string runners in group races are not there to make up the numbers.

Our man in France gives Bazire’s Valokaja Hindo a place chance. At time of writing, this entry was at 225/1, a working man’s price for sure.

Diable De Vauvert won the first qualifier and is from the same stud as Luke Timlin’s Avenir De Vauvert, currently tucked up in bed in Tempo, Fermanagh.

For what it’s worth, this writer was very taken by the performance of Bahia Quesnot in the Cornulier. She was passed a length in the straight and battled back to win.

Bellino ll in 1975 and 1976 and Jag de Bellouet in 2005 have previously completed the double of Europe’s great saddle and sulky trotting classics, so it can be done.

Bahia Quesnot has also a faster lifetime best than both Face Time Bourbon and Davidson Du Pont. The mare will carry a couple of my euros tomorrow.

THE Prix d’Amerique has been broadcast live on some of the UK satellite channels in recent years. However, as their audience is vastly more thoroughbred orientated a maiden hurdle at Plumpton or a seller at Lingfield may attract more screen time! The best option might be LeTROT live on their website.

Bet 365 have priced the race and McCartan Bet of Lurgan intends pricing the contest on their website.

SEAN Kane is not the only Irish passport holder doing well in French trotting. On Sunday 24th January, Hi Fidelity owned by Clive Richardson of Portadown and introduced to racing by Alan Wallace, became the first Irish/French Trotter to race in France.

The flashily marked mare posted a promising fifth at the Angers track. She was racing right-handed for the first time. Trainer/driver Franck Ouvrie said: “She ran really well and there is improvement in her.”

YET another Kane connection arose recently with the news that Sean’s father Ger has, with the help of contacts in France, leased the stallion So Lovely Girl, unusual though the name is, for the 2021 season.

Thanks are due to the M. Jean Pierre Dubois of Haras de la Gastine for a very generous deal. M. JP Dubois has bred 2,400 winners and has also bred group winners on the flat. So Lovely Girl raced at the top level in France earning €264,000 including five wins.

The stallion will cover his mares at Mooreside Stud, The Naul and the offspring can be paid into a lucrative racing series for 2025. The series is organised by the IHRA CLG.