Meaulnes du Corta reaffirmed his status as Europe's top trotter winning the Prix de France at Vincennes
and giving catch-driver, Pierre Vercruysse, his fisrt victory since December.
The win for Vercruysse was an emotional one - his lost his son in a motorway accident last July, and has undergone numerous operations since.
As the gate folded in the 400,000EUR, 2,100 metre mobile-start event, Opal Viking, Olga Du Biwetz and Offshore Dream sprinted away. Meaulnes du Corta was left sandwiched between Malakite and Oiseau De Feux.
Vercruysse settled his trotter while the leaders set a torrid early pace. It looked as if the race record was about to be smashed as the first time posted showed a staggering 1:08.2km rate at 1,500 metres from the wire.
Once making his way to the lead, Meaulnes du Corta was never seriously threatened. Vercruysse controlled the field keeping a safe distance between him and the rest of the pack. He crossed the wire first in 1:11.6km rate, followed by Nouba Du Saptel - the horse that was also second in the Prix d’Amerique - and Offshore Dream rounded out the top three.
Meaulnes du Corta (Voici du Niel - Cigale) is just the tenth trotter in history to win both the Prix d’Amerique and the Prix de France in the same year. Next up will be the longer-distance 4,125 metre Grand Prix de Paris to be raced next Sunday, at Paris-Vincennes.
(with files from France-Trot)