Like Laurent-Claude Abrivard's stable, Inexcess Bleu is celebrating at the end of the year: this Saturday, in Vincennes, the one that many consider to be the best gelding of the moment won the Prix de Bar-le-Duc (won by Ibiki de Houelle[##font##] or even[/##font##] Oracle Tile in recent years). “We are having a beautiful month of Decemberconfirms Alexandre Abrivard. This erases a little this year which has been complicated, and that’s nice.” But above all, this son of Vittel de Brévol signs a third victory in a row in this last month of the year, becoming the first aged horse at this meeting to win three races during the winter. “It was a tough programcontinues his driver. He ran at ten days, then at fourteen days. Today, in addition, we had to return the meters. We know that it has become complicated to cover the distance. But the horse, at home, seemed to have remained well. In the heat and the canter, he was with his tail on his back. He was very, very strong, but I had confidence in him.” On the course side, “we made a big effort coming out of the plain to take the lead. I told myself at that moment that it was hard what I was asking of him, but he was having a big day. With the race I gave him and the program he had, it was the real thing Inexcess Bleu. We could have been really beaten by Fakir de Mahey with this race.” The icing on the cake, the representative of Michel Gallier sets the record for the event (1'12''4 over 2,850 meters GP), held since 2021 by Epsom d'Herfraie (1'12''5). Enough to calmly approach the coming weeks, and the Prix du Luxembourg, on January 25, his next objective. “He will “wake up” next week (laughs). We are four weeks before the race, he will have a well-deserved fortnight of peace, before working again the two weeks before.”
Heading for the end of January
He too will not be seen again until the last weekend of January. But for Fakir de Maheyit is America's challenge that now awaits him. Qualified for the summit on January 26 after his fourth place in the Prix du Bourbonnais (Gr. II), the representative of Michel Soulas finished second. “I'm very happy, he was beaten by a top horseexplains Mathieu Mottier, who was unable to get into his resident's sulky due to a layoff. He will go directly to the Prix d'Amérique, he prefers to run fresh. It's great, the preparation is good, the program is good. We are in place.” Reformed for the first time since January 2021, the Jean-Michel Bazire / Jean-Michel Baudouin tandem takes third place with Madrik icon. “Flawless. She didn't take it hard and she took a good check. That's all the coach asked me”, concludes the multiple Sulky d’Or.
