Doug McNair’s long awaited debut at Hippodrome Paris-Vincennes in France will take place this Friday, Nov. 29.
Announced last month, McNair will represent Canada in this year's Prix des Rencontres Internationales du Trotteur Français. This, however, is not McNair’s first trip to the Parisian suburbs -- selected for this very event 11 years prior, McNair could not compete in the 2013 edition of that race. McNair was chosen to defend the Canadian title after Billy Davis Jr. had won the event in 2012. McNair was in Paris for the race but a last minute scratch, no also eligible, and a proposal from Swiss driver Jean Bernard Matthey to drive his horse, which was ultimately rejected down by the local racing officials, meant that McNair could not compete.
Eleven years later, McNair is back in Paris to represent Canada against some of the most experienced reinsmen from across Europe and Australia.
Arriving in France on Wednesday morning, McNair, who has 255 wins and just over $7 million in purses this season, will have some time to acclimate before stepping onto the racecourse on Friday night in the seventh race (post time approximately 3:44 p.m. EST). The race will be contested at a distance of 2,100 metres on the interior track at Paris-Vincennes, a track that McNair describes as “one of the most beautiful in the world.”
McNair will face a few familiar competitors in the field of 15, including Belgium's Hanna Huygens, with whom he drove against in the 2023 World Driving Championship, as well and Germany's Michael Nimczyk and Malta's Rodney Gatt.
“I drove against a few of them in competition before so I know their driving styles," said McNair.
McNair will drive Filou Du Berger from post five. Trained by Vincent Marquez, the nine-year-old trotter by Echo out of Grande Terre sports eight wins, 29 top three finishes and 42 in-the-money placings in 97 career starts.
The field for the Prix des Rencontres Internationales du Trotteur Français is listed below.
Prix des Rencontres Internationales du Trotteur Français
Post - Horse - Driver (Country)
1. Forever Isques - Gerhard Mayr (Austria)
2. Garnement Bleu - Mateo Riera Bennasar (Spain)
3. Gassman D'Essa - Jonathan Cowden (Ireland)
4. If I Tell You - Jiri Svoboda (Czechia)
5. Filou Du Berger - Doug McNair (Canada)
6. Feria De Ligny - Branko Skenderovic (Serbia)
7. Fakir De Gesvres - Michael Nimczyk (Germany)
8. Farceur De Mai - Yoann Lebourgeois (France)
9. Glorioso Bello - Benjamin Rouchard (France)
10. Fairplay Forever - Chiel Wildhagen (Netherlands)
11. Heros Du Pommereux - James Herbertson (Australia)
12. Gorlando Ludios - Adrian Burger (Switzerland)
13. Hommage De Larre - Rhun Wilson (Great Britain)
14. Gowen Charleonnais - Rodney Gatt (Malta)
15. Golzac De Rem - Hanna Huygens (Belgium)
Following the event, McNair will fly straight to New York City on Saturday morning and head to The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey to compete in the FanDuel Open Trot Championship with reigning O'Brien Award divisional winner Logan Park.
If you would like to cheer on McNair in France, you can watch and wager through HPIbet with an English-speaking race call or you can tune in on Letrot.com and watch the in-house show from Vincennes in French.
Bonne Chance, Doug!
(Standardbred Canada)