3 minute read
G1 Review: Prix de Cornulier.
| Date | Sunday 23 January 2022 |
| Venue | Vincennes |
| Race | R4 – G1 Prix de Cornulier (2700m) |
| Type | Mounted, walk up for four to eleven-year-olds excluding geldings |
| Winner | Flamme du Goutier |
| Driver | Antoine Wiels |
| Trainer | Thierry Duvaldestin |
| Breeding | Ready Cash x Utopie du Goutier |
| Second | Granvillaise Bleue |
| Third | Etoile de Bruyère |
Last year's G1 Prix de Cornulier (2700m) runner-up Flamme Du Goutier went one place better and recorded her fifteenth career success under a perfectly timed ride by Antoine Wiels as the mare powered clear in dominating style down the home straight. The superstar daughter of Ready Cash maintained her excellent mounted win strike rate with all four mounted career triumphs coming at the top level.
The strongly supported seven-year-old was settled behind the midfield in the early stages with Feeling Cash and Fantaisie setting a strong tempo. The field were stretched out passing the stands with a circuit to go. Freeman de Houelle made a bold move at halfway to go clear and increased the pace spreading the field by over twenty lengths down the far side. The winner was still well back, fifteen lengths off the leader.
With 800m to go, Freeman de Houelle quickly began to fade, and the field bunched together with the Thierry Duvaldestin trained winner within ten lengths from the pace setter. The mare began to make eye-catching headway rounding the final turn, quickly passing rivals to take sixth place turning for home.
Flamme du Goutier caught the eye in the home straight making stealthy progress and travelling strongly as she moved into third with 200m to go. She ran strongly on the outside accelerating in the final 100m to come away in dominating fashion and be a convincing winner. Passing the post Wiels produced a big celebratory salute with the large Vincennes crowd supporting the high-class performance.
The placegetters produced a photo finish with Granvillaise Bleue second and Etoile de Bruyère finished third. Last year's G1 Prix de Cornulier (2700m) winner Bahia Quesnot was a solid fourth ahead of G1 Prix de Normandie (3000m) victor, Gladys des Plaines. Two-time previous winner ofthe race, Bilibili, was not disgraced after running well for a good portion of the race.
Flamme du Goutier came into this Group One event after some mixed runs in driven company. Her claims were solid returning to mounted company with the trainer and jockey in excellent form, a good barefoot record, track, course, and distance records as well as her outstanding record in G1 mounted races - 2020 G1 Prix de Normandie (3000m), last year's G1 Prix de l'Ile-de-France (2175m), the G1 Prix des Centaures (2200m) and now the 2022 G1 Prix de Cornulier (2700m).