Two weeks ahead of the Opodo Prix d\u2019Am\u00e9rique, the Prix de Belgique is the final qualifier before the legendary harness event on the last Sunday of January. While some are already sure to qualify as they make their final adjustments, for some others it will be their final opportunity to stamp their ticket for the Big Race.<\/p>\n
Prix de Bretagne, Prix du Bourbonnais, Prix de Bourgogne, Crit\u00e9rium Continental, Prix de T\u00e9nor de Baune\u2026 Just one left to go, Sunday\u2019s upcoming Prix de Belgique, the last of the six-race #OpodoRaces series. Those lacking in earnings will be bidding to qualify on points. Prix de Bourgogne runner-up Amiral Sacha<\/strong> is one of them who will have to finish in the shake-up on Sunday to ensure a place in the Big Race in two weeks\u2019 time. It\u2019s the same story for Robert Bergh\u2019s Kadett C.D<\/strong> who so far has won \u2018only\u2019 18,200 euros since January 1st<\/sup>, 2015, nearly \u20ac14,000 off the \u20ac31,000 required.<\/p>\n So while the Prix de Belgique is decisive for some, others like Opodo Prix d\u2019Am\u00e9rique title-holder Up And Quick<\/strong> will be fine tuning their engines. Like Mosa\u00efque Face<\/strong>, Franck Leblanc\u2019s charge will have to concede a 25-metre handicap. Quite a challenge, considering no trotter has achieved the feat over the last 10 years. Nevertheless, Up And Quick<\/strong>\u2019s connections will probably not be unduly worried. Fourth in last year\u2019s edition, the son of Buvetier d\u2019Aunou<\/strong> sailed home two weeks later in the 2015 Opodo Prix d\u2019Am\u00e9rique. The last trotter to have achieved the Prix de Belgique\/Prix d\u2019Am\u00e9rique double dates back ages\u2026 Queen L<\/strong> in 1993.<\/p>\n As is often the case, this year\u2019s Prix de Belgique will have a strong European look about it. In their quest for the Opodo Prix d\u2019Am\u00e9rique, the visitors are starting to take up temporary residence in France and consider the last of the 4 \u2018Bs\u2019 an excellent springboard. There will be 8 foreign raiders in the 16-runner field, including Norway\u2019s Support Justice. Teaming up with Eric Raffin on Sunday, the 7yo was really impressive on his sole French bid when landing the 2014 Championnat Europ\u00e9en des 5 ans. Along with Lionel, he will be spearheading the tough foreign coalition which often does well in this event, as underlined in recent years by wins from Yarrah Boko<\/strong> (2013, 2014), Maharajah<\/strong> (2011) and Giuseppe Bi<\/strong> (2009).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Two weeks ahead of the Opodo Prix d\u2019Am\u00e9rique, the Prix de Belgique is the final qualifier before the legendary harness event on the last Sunday of January. While some are already sure to qualify as they make their final adjustments, for some others it will be their final opportunity to stamp their ticket for the Big Race. Prix de Bretagne,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,24],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n