by Karsten Bonsdorf, USTA web newsroom correspondent

The 6-year-old Swedish trotter Maharajah, driven by Ôrjan Kihlström, won the fourth and final test race leading up to Europe’s most prestigious trotting race, the Prix d’Amerique. He captured the Prix de Belgique over 2,850 meters (or about 1-3/4 miles) on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 16) at Vincennes.

The four test races have had four different winners in Olga du Biwetz, Private Love, Ready Cash and Maharajah.

Kihlström directed Maharajah to the front after the first quarter and stayed there to win by a half-length, followed by the 10-year-old game mare Nuit Torride, driven by Bernard Piton. Maharajah was timed in 1:57.2 (mile rate), which was a new race record.

Ready Cash, who after his win in the Prix de Bourgogne a fortnight ago, was considered the heavy favorite for the Prix d’Amerique, opted to race in the Prix Tenor de Baune over 1-11/16th miles (the same distance as the Prix d’Amerique) on the same card. On paper it looked to be a walk in the park for Ready Cash, who for the first time had his trainer Thierry Duvaldestin in the bike.

But down the stretch Ready Cash was not able to catch the Italian mare Lana del Rio, with Santo Mollo in the bike, as she just held off Ready Cash to win by a half-length in 1:57.3 (mile rate). However Ready Cash was a little bit rough gaited just before the finish line and the judges disqualified him and placed him last.

Ready Cash will still be among the big favorites for the Prix d’Amerique, together with Maharajah and last year’s winner, O Yonnax, who finished fifth behind Maharajah, but had to trail him by 25 meters from the start.