The members of the committee of Le Trot delivered their verdict on one of the summer soap operas, namely the participation of a gelding in the Prix d'Amérique, which traditionally takes place on the last Sunday of January.
A majority therefore voted against this proposal (26 votes against, 22 votes in favor, 2 abstentions).
A surprising decision, as the trend of recent weeks seemed to tilt towards a positive vote, especially after the demonstrations of
Cleangame
, best gelding (castrated horse) in activity, and
Face Time Bourbon
in recent weeks.
According to our information, members in favor of the opening were in the majority before the ballot, but the vote by secret ballot was a game-changer.
The match at the top will therefore not take place.
"We did not expect that"
“It's a real blow of bamboo, recognizes a source close to the file within the company organizing the races.
We did not expect that.
Everything was ready, both legally and sportingly.
All that was needed was the agreement of the committee.
That was without counting this last-minute turnaround.
"Opponents of the case have valid arguments," continues the same source.
They are afraid of attending Group I for aged horses largely composed of geldings in the future.
This is the case in the United States where young horses are whole for the selection tests.
Once a stallion, they stop their careers so as not to be devalued by facing the geldings as they age.
"
Still, the rule seemed pretty fair.
Only one qualifying event would have been open to geldings, the Prix de Bourgogne.
To qualify for the big event on the last Sunday in January, a castrated horse would have had to finish in the top three of this Group II.
If several geldings were on the podium, the best of them would have qualified for the Prix d'Amérique, Prix de France, and Prix de Paris.
The principle was identical for the Prix de Cornulier and the Île de France, two Groups I mounted trotting for aged horses, where the qualification was foreseen in the Prix du Calvados.
"Perhaps we should think of another ordeal"
“It was not the right time, relativizes one of the leaders of Le Trot.
We will try to present the project better and to further develop mentalities in order to come up with an interesting scheme that is accepted by the majority.
One thing is certain, it is not this winter that we will witness the long awaited clash between
Face Time Bourbon
and
Cleangame
in America.
However, the door is not completely closed.
"Maybe we should think of another event", launch some professionals and leaders.
The Conservatives on one side and the Progressives on the other will therefore try to agree on this development in the future.
The choice of the race could make it possible to find a compromise.
But in the immediate future, it will not be the Prix d'Amérique.