The Prix d’Amerique Legend Race, contested this Sunday at Paris-Vincennes, will be the scene of a thrilling duel between Face Time Bourbon, reigning world champion, and runner-up Davidson du Pont, in search of revenge. This is not the first time, in the most coveted trotting race on the planet, that two antagonists have stood out from the crowd, far from it. And harness racing connoisseurs know that it is risky to sum up a race to a match between two trotters … But we have to admit that some fights marked their time, before going down in posterity. We have selected four top rivalries since the early 1980s in the Prix d’Amerique Legend Race. Second part dedicated to the confrontation between General du Pommeau and Varenne, at the beginning of the 21rst century.
January 30, 2000. 79th Prix d’Amerique Legend Race in history. Coming from the glorious “G” generation, General du Pommeau comes out of an impressive 5-year-old, with eleven wins, including four at the highest level: the Prix Rene Balliere, the 5yo Criterium, the GP Aby and the 5yo European Championship. With the exception of the 3yo Criterium, all the other Criterium in his class fell into his own hands. With a 25 meters handicap in the Prix du Bourbonnais Qualif # 2 and the Prix de Belgique Qualif # 6, in which he finished 4th, General du Pommeau hides his game and preserves himself in view of his great goal.
The observers are convinced of this and install him as the favorite, at 14/10. Born in France and bred by Jean-Pierre Dubois, before entering the boxes of Jori Turja in Italy, Varenne is in exceptional shape. The results of his year 1999 are perfect: fourteen appearances for as many successes, offering himself the scalp of Moni Maker in the Grand Prix des Nations before a noticeable foray on Boxing Day, in Paris-Vincennes, in the Prix Ariste Hemard, where he teaches the Hulk des Champs, Hugo du Bossis, Himo Josselyn and other Hand du Vivier a lesson. Hungry for wins, Varenne has the Prix d’Amerique in the sights and is the direct opposition to General du Pommeau, with battle-hardened Remington Crown (3/1 each).
But thunder from the start. While General du Pommeau and Remington Crown quickly entered the top of the peloton, the same was not true for Varenne, who missed his start and (temporarily) showered the hopes of the tifosi. The pace picked up on the descent, driven by a raging First de Retz who takes the lead to Remington Crown in the Plain. Despite his late, Varenne accelerates, travels in depth then lets his powerful footwork speak for the uphill to take the lead, at the intersection of the tracks. “General”, who did nothing of the course, comes out of the back of Galopin du Ravary, and passes the overdrive. The long-awaited match takes place throughout the last turn. Varenne holds the head and the rope but the partner of Giampaolo Minnucci already has his ears open and shows signs of weariness. At the sulky of his champion, “p’tit Jules”, quiet strength, takes the measure of the Italian prodigy. Then the “Barefoot General” takes off, in a home straight of anthology, smashing Il Capitano (dominated at the end by Galopin du Ravary) to go and beat the race record. Jules Lepennetier raises his hand to the sky, before stroking the rump of the new world champion.
Defeated in the Prix d’Amerique Legend Race, Varenne wasted no time in finding his way back to the net. And even if General du Pommeau (2nd) precedes Varenne (5th) in the Elitloppet 2000, it is the italian champ who took power, this which he will confirm during the Prix d’Amerique Legend Race 2001 and 2002, winning each time from start to finish. Il Capitano won almost everything in his path, taking – something amazing – two years in a row the European Triple Crown (Prix d’Amerique Legend Race, Gran Premio Lotteria and Elitloppet), ending his racing career in the fall of his 7 years with 68 victories and more than 6 million euros in earnings (world record). Encouraged by his fan club, General du Pommeau will continue to give his best until the end of his very long carrer, having always made the rear, in five attempts, in the Prix d’Amerique.
