Savoken and Straight Right prevail over Cagnes' sand

Sunday, February 12th, Hippodrome de la Côte d'Azur (Cagnes-sur-Mer). - Savoken (Kentucky Dynamite) used a nice trip to win the 2,000m-PSF Grand Prix de la Riviera-Jacques Bouchara (L). Trained by Cédric Rossi for Écurie du Sud, the 6-year-old homebred gelding trailed the four-horse group that quickly took a few lengths lead over the other four contenders. His rider Pierre-Charles Boudot took a shot entering the straight line and they managed to keep two and a half lengths over Apilobar (Slickly), who was giving him two kilos and had to lead the rearguard to keep up with the leaders.

Straight Right (Siyouni, photo) resisted the final assault of his best rival Markazi (Dark Angel) at the end of the PSF mile in the Prix de la Californie (L), a 3yo championship. The two first home had just won their respective Class 1 race. Trained by Christophe Ferland for Marie-Thérèse Dubuc-Grassa and the Haras du Saubouas, Straight Right went sideways in the final stretch but the stewards judged after inquiry that his moves in the dying stages of the race did not cost a better placing to third-placed Uni (More Than Ready), who passed the post 3/4 of a length behind Markazi's, himself only beaten a short head.

Straight Right was bought € 125,000 as a yearling by the Haras du Saubouas at the Arqana sales in August 2015. He was then consigned by the Haras du Petit Tellier.

Six meetings are still scheduled for the winter meeting on the Riviera, which is drawing to a close on February 27th.