Prix d'Amérique 2015

January 25, 2015 - Trotting, 2700 meters, Paris-Vincennes

Preview: January 22, 2015

The most important trotting race of the world appears quite an inscrutable event this year, several horses seem able to win but none really stands out.
Up And Quick and Texas Charm were among the hottest candidates in last year's Prix d’Amérique and they will arrive as top favourites this time again. A serious competitor should be Solvato, who proved that he can manage the track in Paris too.
Also trotters like the unshakable veteran Roxane Griff, youngster Aladin d'Ecajeul, Elitloppet winner Timoko, Tiego d'Etang or Uhlan du Val are all having justified hopes to win the big race. Much will depend on the tactics, the starting positions, on how the race will be run and last but not least on a little bit of luck.

Up And Quick got only just beaten on the line by Maharajah in the 2014 Prix d’Amérique. He gained the Prix de Paris afterwards, had won the Prix Ténor de Baune before. After a nine-month break he displayed good form when came second in the Prix de Bourgogne in December.

Also Texas Charm turned out in good shape at the Prix du Bourbonnais. Driven from the front by the 22-year-old Julien Dubois he dominated and won this B-race. After four consecutive victories Texas Charm had been among the 2014 Amérique favourites already, but then missed the big race due to an injury.

For Solvato the above mentioned Prix du Bourbonnais was his first appearance in France, where he finished third and then even won the Prix de Bourgogne ahead of Up And Quick. The six-year-old was born in the USA but is trained in Sweden. Just two weeks before the Prix d’Amérique his stable Denco HB decided to install a new trainer, his driver will still be Örjan 'Iceman' Kihlström, who navigated the legendary Maharajah to victory last year.

The ten-year-old Roxane Griff came runner-up in the 2012 Prix d’Amérique and finished fourth last year. Last Sunday she defended her title in Prix de Cornulier. The last horse that won the Prix de Cornulier and one week later the Prix d’Amérique was Jag de Bellouet in 2006.

Five years younger than Roxane Griff is Aladin d'Ecajeul. As a result of multiple victories in races against same-aged horses he entered the Critérium Continental as evens favourite in December. Astonishingly he was there beaten by the Danish colt Tumble Dust, who will get driven by the four-times Amérique winner Jos Verbeeck.

Tiego d’Etang revealed strong early form when won the Prix de Bretagne in November, last Sunday he got only narrowly beaten by Roxane Griff in the Prix de Cornulier. He is one of the promising candidates as it is Uhlan du Val, who won the Prix de Belgique from the front in January. In this last B-race several competitors did not really go hundred percent, so this victory should not be overvalued.

Even though he did not have the most convincing results in the B-races Timoko should not be underestimated, the fifth of last year's Prix d’Amérique triumphed in the 2014 Elitloppet.

Maven, the guest from the USA, gave to two disappointing performances in France. She had an unfortunate race in the Prix de Bourgogne, then was send to the front in the Prix Ténor de Baune, but finished only seventh at the end. She will now get guided by the Canadian top driver Yannick Gingras again, who has not the highest wealth of experience in Europe.
The mentioned Prix Ténor de Baune for the six year-olds was won by Vulcain De Vandel, who is trained and driven by the three-times Amérique winner Franck Nivard.