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The Stats Guide: Prix Rene-Balliere.
For older horses, this weekend's feature event is the G1 Prix René-Ballière (2100m) on Sunday at Vincennes. This International Group One for four- to ten-year-olds excluding geldings over the 2100m on the outer track is the sprinting summer highlight of the trotting season from behind the autostart.
The race has seen multiple changes since its inception (In 1967) with the name changed on two occasions from "The Championship" to "The European Championship" for the second renewal. Five years later, the Group One was re-named to honour the memory of the former president of LeTROT, René Ballière who was at the helm from 1935 to 1970. His Presidency saw development projects at Vincennes and the founding of a training centre. He was also one of the founders of the European Union for Trotting races (today known as Union of European Trotting). He died at the age of 88 in 1972.
There has been some international success over the years. Sea Cove was the first international winner in 1993 and again in 1994 for Canada. Sweden was next with Jackhammer in 2002. Italy has been the only other country to travel to Vincennes for success in the race with Exploit Caf (2008) and Main Wise As (2012).
Ready Cash has sired the winner for the last five years with Bold Eagle winning the race a record breaking four times between 2016-19 and Face Time Bourbon taking the event twelve months ago. The latter is amongst the entries for this year's renewal and will look to continue the excellent recent record of Ready Cash.
- * - Please note with these participants the international form lines may not be fully updated and accurate.
- (C) – Horses with this symbol, means the career best Kilometre rating was achieved at the track (Vincennes).