Harness: Ampia Mede SM captures Prix de France

Ampia Mede SM, who rallied from the back of the pack to finish second in the Prix d'Amerique on January 29, was the winner of Sunday's Group 1 Prix de France at Vincennes Racecourse in Paris. The 6-year-old mare tallied in a kilometer rate of 1'10"2 (mile rate of 1:53). The Prix de France is contested over a distance of 2,100 meters and from behind a starting car.

Driven by Franck Nivard, who has now won the Prix de France on six occasions, Ampia Mede SM was left two-wide and uncovered late on the first turn after Don Fanucci Zet (Örjan Kihlström) swept into the lead. Ampia Mede SM and Nivard simply bided their time from there until mounting a strong attack on the final bend and into the lane.

Nivard roused Ampia Mede SM into the top spot past Don Fanucci Zet early in the stretch drive, and then she was able to keep a closing Vivid Wise AS (Mathieu Abrivard) at bay to the wire, winning by about a neck. Hohneck (Francois Lagadeuc) came in third. Prix d'Amerique champion Hooker Berry, who was driven today by Nicolas Bazire, was positioned third-over in a three-wide flow, but didn't have the acceleration in the lane and had to settle for seventh.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

A daughter of Ganymede, Ampia Mede SM is trained by Fabrice Souloy for Italian owner Scuderia Se.Fin. This was her 15th career victory, and she has now earned over a million Euros lifetime.

"It's an immense happiness," Souloy said about the victory in a post-race interview.

In other action on the card, Idao de Tillard, who was the favorite in the Prix d'Amerique but made an early break, rebounded with a tally in the Group 2 Prix Ovide Moulinet for 5-year-olds. Idao de Tillard, driven by Clement Duvaldestin for his father, trainer Thierry Duvaldestin, bagged the 2,700 meter test in a kilometer rate of 1'14"8.