by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

After a very convincing victory on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 11) on a sloppy track at Vincennes, the French trotter Ready Cash now seems to be ready to fulfill earlier expectations about being the next big French international trotting star.

Gerard Forni photo

Ready Cash won on a sloppy track in Paris in the Prix Marcel Laurent.

Ready Cash, with Franck Nivard in the bike, was a very easy winner of the Prix Marcel Laurent, a grade 2 race over the 1-5/16th mile distance for 4- and 5-year-old trotters with a purse for the winner of $75,000. Ready Cash won in 1:56.2 (mile rate) and became the first trotter to ever win this race twice.

This was the first win for Ready Cash since Feb. 22.

Ready Cash used be trained by his owner, Phillipe Allaire, who trains his horses at the world renowned Grosbois training center near Paris. However, Ready Cash got upset being trained at Grosbois, where more than 1,300 trotters are trained every day. Therefore, Allaire transferred Ready Cash to the stable of trainer Thierry Duvaldestin, who trains his trotters on a farm on the countryside. The purpose was to try to get Ready Cash to calm down and even though he still looked a little hot Thursday, he was far better than earlier.

From post position one Franck Nivard eased Ready Cash and found a spot in the middle of the field. With a half-mile to go Nivard made his move and Ready Cash was soon in command in front.

The favorite, Roc Meslois driven by Pierre Belloche, tried to follow Ready Cash but had no chance and Ready Cash won by two lengths followed by Roc Meslois and rank outsider Recia du Closet.

The Dutch-owned Main Wise As, driven by Sebastian Ernault, was the second favorite, but tired with a half-mile to go and finished eighth. The Swedish trotter Lavec Kronos, who raced for the first time at Vincennes, was just ahead of Main Wise As in seventh.

If Duvaldestin manages to keep Ready Cash calm, the handsome trotter could be the best French chance to win the Prix d’Amerique in 2011.