The French Chamber of Deputies, the equivalent of the House of Representatives in the United States, voted on Tuesday to allow online betting to be opened up to all comers. The vote, which passed by 299-to-223, means that the French parimutuel system, Pari-Mutuel Urbain, has effectively lost its monopoly in the French betting industry.

Special Duty, the champion juvenile filly in Europe in 2009, embarks on what owner Khalid Abdullah and trainer Criquette Head-Maarek hope will be a highly lucrative 3-year-old campaign at Maisons-Laffitte on Thursday in the Group 3, $108,000 Prix Imprudence. A British-bred daughter of Hennessy, Special Duty is using the straight seven furlongs of the Imprudence as a prep for the classic 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 2, but she could hardly have found a tougher spot for her first start in six months.

Able One sprung an 11.70-1 surprise over a high-class field in the Chairman's Trophy at Sha Tin on Sunday as he defeated four Group 1 winners in the Group 2, $386,000 mile. Well placed in third by Darren Beadman, the 7-year-old Able One led just inside the quarter pole in defeating Mr Medici by a neck with Viva Pataca two lengths farther back in third. Last year's Group 1 Champion's Mile winner Sight Winner was sixth, while Hong Kong Gold Cup winner Collection came home eighth, probably finding the mile well short of his preferred distance of 1 1/4 miles.

Gris de Gris successfully defended his Prix Edmond Blanc title at Saint-Cloud on Sunday as he led throughout to take the Group 3, $108,000 mile by two lengths from Skins Game. Confidently ridden by Christophe Lemaire, the 6-year-old gray son of Slickly reveled in the heavy ground as the even-money favorite, covering the distance in 1:50.30.

Gris de Gris defends his title in the Group 3, $108,000 Prix Edmond Blanc going a mile at Saint-Cloud on Sunday when soft ground should play right into his hands. Seven of the eight lifetime victories recorded by Gris de Gris have come on soft or heavy going, with three of them coming at Saint-Cloud itself.

The road to the French classics began in earnest at Saint-Cloud on Thursday when No Risk At All put an end to Behkabad's perfect record in the listed, $74,300 Prix Omnium II. The heavy ground was not a hindrance to No Risk At All, a son of My Risk trained by Jean-Paul Gallorini. He landed at odds of 11.40-1, defeating the 7.30-1 second choice Tip Toe by two lengths, traveling the mile in 1:47.80.

Yutaka Take, Japan's champion rider in 19 of the last 21 years, sustained a broken shoulder in a spill at Hanshin on Saturday and is expected to be out of action for at least a month.

The accident occurred when Take's mount in the Grade 3 Mainichi Hai, The Taiki, fell in the stretch. Danon Chantilly went on to win the 1 1/8-mile prep for the Oka Sho, or Japanese 2000 Guineas, by 1o1/4 lengths from Mikki Dream.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Age, experience on two continents, and a crafty ride by jockey Christophe Soumillion gave Musir an expected victory in the $2 million United Arab Emirates Derby.

Musir, an Australian-bred 4-year-old, closed from last in a field of 14 to win by 1 3/4 lengths over the 4-year-old filly Raihana. Musir ran about 1 3/16 miles, or 1,900 meters, in track record time of 1:57.44. Saturday's program was the 10th day of racing at Meydan, which opened in late January. Musir paid $5.40 in the U.S.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Stefan Friborg joked last week that when he got involved in racing a few years ago, his enthusiasm was such that he found it easier to buy four horses at a time instead of one. Not long after that habit developed, the Swedish-born, Brazil-based oil executive found himself with a stable of more than 100 horses.

Saturday at Meydan, Friborg was happy with a more singular result, the nose that separated his Gloria de Campeao from Lizard's Desire at the finish of the $10 million Dubai World Cup, the world's richest race.

Owner David Reynolds was found guilty on Monday by the disciplinary stewards of the British Horseracing Authority of hitting jockey Kieren Fallon and owner Paul Crate at Lingfield Park on March 20. The owner of The Scorching Wind, a horse who was inadvertently impeded by Fallon's mount Elna Bright in a handicap that day, Reynolds was fined approximately $14,800 and ruled off for three months.