Paris — Will the Swedish Francesco Zet, trained by Daniel Redén and driven by Benjamin Rochard, finally succeed in claiming an international Group 1 victory when he starts Sunday (Feb. 22) in the Prix de Paris at Vincennes — the winter meeting’s marathon test over 4,150 meters (2-5/8 miles)?
The Prix de Paris is the last of the three international races in the winter meeting – after the Prix d’Amérique and the Prix de France – and Francesco Zet is the only horse in Sunday’s field to have competed in both other major races.
After finishing unplaced in the Prix d’Amérique, Francesco Zet was third in the Prix de France. But none of the top finishers in either the Prix d’Amérique or Prix de France are entered in Sunday’s Prix de Paris.
Francesco Zet (sired by Father Patrick) is one of the favorites for the first prize of €180,000.
Another is the Italian Frank Gio (sired by Face Time Bourbon) – however, he is trained in France by Sebastian Guarato and driven by Matthieu Abrivard.
Frank Gio has not raced since the Prix d’Amérique, where he finished fourth with a strong finish.
Since the Prix de Paris was first contested in 1942, only four times has a foreign-born horse won the race. Only one of them was trained outside France: the Swedish Maharajah, who won the race in 2011, trained by Stefan Hultman.
The Prix de Paris starts at 9:15 a.m. Eastern time and can be watched live at www.letrot.com.