Harness: Delia du Pommereux upsets Face Time Bourbon in Prix de France

Prix d'Amérique champion Face Time Bourbon looked home free turning into the stretch in today's Gr. 1 Prix de France at Vincennes Racecourse in Paris, but he couldn't polish off the victory as Delia du Pommereux rallied strongly from off-the-pace to win the 2,100 meter race in 1'09"8 (mile rate 1:52 1/5), tying the stakes record.

The complexion of the race changed after the start when Prix d'Amérique runner-up and defending Prix de France champion Davidson du Pont (Jean-Michel Bazire) broke stride. With his main rival out of contention, driver Björn Goop moved Face Time Bourbon into the top spot around early leader Billie de Montfort (Gabriele Gelormini). Face Time Bourbon would be challenged by a two-wide Bahia Quesnot (Junior Guelpa) after taking the lead, but had little issue keeping her on the outside.

The two-wide group improved position with about 1,000 meters left in the race as Billie de Montfort backed up out of the pocket, and that allowed Bahia Quesnot and others down to the inside. However, while that was going on behind him, Face Time Bourbon accelerated quickly on the far turn and gained separation on the field, appearing that he was going to add the Prix de France to his collection of triumphs.

Delia du Pommereux (Eric Raffin) said 'not so fast,' though, as she marched up two-wide into second coming into the lane, and though she had a lot of work to do, she had fresh legs after sitting near the back of the pack prior to that. As Delia du Pommereux suddenly began to eat into the margin, Goop called on Face Time Bourbon to respond, but Delia du Pommereux had the momentum and the kick to go by, winning by about half a length. Aetos Kronos, a 5-year-old son of Bold Eagle trained by Jerry Riordan and owned by Jeff and Michael Snyder, tracked Delia du Pommereux's cover, and was third.

"Honestly, I did not expect to beat Face Time Bourbon before the race. I was considering second place," said Raffin, whose father, Jean, won the 1990 Prix de France with Pussy Cat. "But the mare is exceptional. She finished strong to make a difference. It's a dream come true; it's my biggest win in harnessed trotting (Raffin is also a jockey in under-saddle races). As I passed the post, I thought of my father. I say thank you, and I also thank Delia, of course."

This was the first Group 1 win for Delia du Pommereux, an 8-year-old mare by Niky. Now a 14-time winner from 67 career attempts, Delia du Pommereux is trained by Sylvain Roger for owner Noël Lolic.

"I am very happy. She is a wonderful mare, with a mind of steel," remarked Roger. "She deserved to win in a big test."

As for Face Time Bourbon, trainer Sébastien Guarato remarked, "Even if he is beaten, he runs well. He was simply beaten by a remarkable opponent. He ran out of air at the end after trotting very fast in the lead. We will probably see him again on March 6 in the Prix de Sélection."

--quotes courtesy of LeTrot--