by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

The 6-year-old French trotter Rapide Lebel was, as expected, in a class of his own on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 29) at Vincennes, Paris, France in the Prix du Luxembourg — a 1-5/16th mile event with a purse for the winner of $75,000.

Eric Raff was in the sulky behind the black trotter, who many would have loved to see in the Prix d’Amerique on Sunday afternoon. However, as a gelding Rapide Lebel is excluded from that race, but plans are to race him internationally this year.

Rapide Lebel normally runs a race in his own way — on the lead — and usually nobody is able to follow him. Saturday’s win in the Prix du Luxembourg was won in the same way. Raff sent Rapide Lebel to the lead after the first quarter and stayed there to win in a new race record of 1:54 (mile rate), three lengths in front of Opaline d’Atou and Brioni.

Rapide Lebel is sired by the French sire Ginger Somolli, who doesn’t have anything to do with Speedy Somolli, but has a lot of Star’s Pride blood in his genes.

On Friday night the Trotting Promotion sale concluded and the overall figures showed a progress of no less than 23.39 percent in the average price compared to last year. A total of 186 head were sold for close to an average of $30,000.

The top price of $440,000 was brought by the Swedish born 3-year-old Update, who holds a record of 1:57.3f and has earnings of $100,000. Update is sired by Gigant Neo and out of Barbados Hanover, she by Malabar Man.