The last of the four ‘B’ races, the Group 2 Prix de Belgique carrying a purse of 120,000 euros, was contested at Vincennes, Paris, on Sunday, and now the field for the 1 million euros Grand Prix D’Amerique is decided.
The jewel in the crown of the Paris winter meeting, the Prix d’Amerique, will be run over 2700 metres on Sunday January 29.
Horsy Dream, the effortless winner of the Prix de Belgique in a 1:57.8 mile rate for 2850 metres, had already qualified for the Prix d’Amerique as the winner of the Prix Tenor de Baune on Christmas Eve. The six-year-old son of Scipion du Goutier is expected to be one of the leading fancies for the French signature event.
Of the 12 qualifiers, only Ampia Mede SM, an Italian-bred mare, was bred outside France. She was gotten by Ganymede, a French horse who was available in Australia, and is the sire of horses the calibre of Vincennes, Lightning Calder and Itsgettingcalder. Ganymede is one of those horses who has done exceptionally well outside France, more so than in France itself - he was the champion sire in Italy on several occasions.
Delia du Pommereux (by Niky), the winner of the Prix de Bourgogne, is lining up for her fifth tilt at the Prix d’Amerique.
Ready Cash, the 2011 and 2012 winner of the French elite test, has two representatives in Flamme du Goutier, third in last year’s Prix D’Amerique and winner of the recent Prix du Cornelier Monte race, and Italiano Vero, while Ready Cash’s champion son Bird Parker is the sire of the qualifier Hussard du Landret.
Two other winners of the Prix d’Amerique have sired qualifiers. Up And Quick (2015) figures as the sire of the Prix de Bretagne victor Hip Hop Haufor, while Royal Dream (2013) is the sire of Hohneck.
Completing the expected lineup are the Prix du Bourbonnais winner Hooker Berry (by Booster Winner), last year’s Elitlopp champion Etonnant (by Timoko), Delocoloration (by Prince d’Espace) and Idao de Tillard (by Severino).
The early favourite for the Prix d’Amerique, Calgary Games, was scratched on the eve of the final qualifying race with a sore throat and has headed home to do a second stint at the famed Menhammar Stud.