3 minute read
G1 Review: Prix de France Speed Race.
| Date | Sunday 13 February 2022 |
| Venue | Vincennes |
| Race | R4 – G1 Prix de France (2100m) |
| Type | International driven autostart for four to elven year olds excluding geldings |
| Winner | Vivid Wise As |
| Driver | Matthieu Abrivard |
| Trainer | Alessandro Gocciadoro |
| Breeding | Yankee Glide x Temple Blue Chip |
| Second | Délia du Pommereux |
| Third | Zacon Gio |
Italian raider, Vivid Wise As, maintained his excellent record during this season's Vincennes Winter Meeting recording an 11th Group One success when taking the feature race, leg two of the French trotting triple crown on Sunday, making history in the process.
The 2100m race is one full circuit of the Vincennes outer course and Etonnant completed barely 100m before breaking stride. As expected for the speed race, pace was strong as set by Flamme du Goutier and Billie de Montfort taking the first left-handed turn. Driving the winner, the in-form winning driver, Matthieu Abrivard had his horse in midfield after Etonnant's disqualification caused problems. He ran out of the racing line and this meant the leading three held a clear advantage of around five lengths ahead of the field.
Down the back-straight the field re-grouped and were well packed together at halfway. The pace setting duties were swapped around by different runners throughout with Cokstile the main leader at the 800m while G1 Prix d'Amérique Legend Race victor Davidson du Pont was on the outside sharing the lead. Eventual winner, Vivid Wise As appeared well positioned in sixth (one out, three back) as the field began the final sweeping turn into the home straight.
It looked an open contest passing the final 500m with many winning chances including Davidson du Pont, Zacon Gio and Power. However, the Alessandro Gocciadoro trained eight-year-old was catching the eye in the home run, making up significant ground quickly on the outside and storming to the front in the final 200m. He kicked clear in style proving a class above his rivals to be an authoritative winner.
Délia du Pommereux finished off very strongly to finish second in her bid for back-back wins in the race from Zacon Gio and Power.
The eight-year-old son of Yankee Glide made history when beating last year's record-breaking kilometre rating time posting 1'09"7, to deliver a new race record. A bid to make a second consecutive victory in the G1 Grand Criterium de Vitesse de La Cote d'Azur (1609m) at Cagnes-sur-Mer in March seems likely.
