€60,000 Grand Prix Riviera (L) Polytrack Challenge: Hooking rules on Riviera

🏅 𝗛𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 (R. Thomas / @PDecouz) conserve son titre dans le Grand Prix Riviera Côte d'Azur - Jacques Bouchara - Finale Polytrack Challenge (Listed) à Cagnes-sur-Mer.

Le représentant de l'@EcurieGriezmann reste invaincu sur l'hippodrome de la Côte d'Azur. pic.twitter.com/4giKMWj43R

— Equidia (@equidia) January 27, 2024

Saturday, 27 January 2024, Hippodrome de la Côte d’Azur (Cagnes-sur-Mer) – Odds-on favourite Hooking (Lope de Vega) stylishly retained his title in the €60,000 Grand Prix de la Riviera Côte d’Azur – Jacques Bouchara (L), the finale of the "classic" section of the new Polytrack Challenge, over 1m1/4 over the Cote d'Azur all-weather track. The representative of Écurie Griezmann also won the challenge, earning his connections an additional €30,000 bonus on top of the €30,000 in prize money and €13,500 in owner's premiums.

The race was led by trainer Michaël Figge's pair, Snow Late (Kingman) and Astoria (Lord of England), initially followed at a distance by Saint Hellier (Le Havre) and Hooking in his wake. The two front-runners were caught early in the straight, and while Saint Hellier, who brought the field up, put up a good fight, he eventually yielded the lead to Hooking and Glaer (Siyouni). Glaer made a vain attempt to challenge the defending champion but finished second by over two lengths, himself almost two lengths ahead of a commendable Bakchisaray (Motivator), followed by a brave Saint Hellier.

Hooking, the first acquisition at the sales of international striker Antoine Griezmann, was bought for €97,000 at Deauville by his trainer from Haras de la Pérelle in October 2017. His dam Quanzhou (Dubawi) is a sister to the good stayer Mille et Mille (Muthathir), winner of the Prix du Cadran (Gr1).

Competing in his 38th race and embarking on his seventh racing season, Hooking is approaching €450,000 in earnings and Premiums. He has arguably never been better. After going places from handicaps to Listed races and vice versa, he placed twice at Group level last year, finishing 2nd in La Coupe (Gr3) at Longchamp, and 4th in the Grand Prix de Vichy (Gr3). He is now undefeated in four starts at Cagnes-sur-Mer, where further objectives await him on both all-weather and turf, according to his trainer, Philippe Decouz.

Hooking has a 4-year-old winning sister in training with Andreas Schütz, a 3-year-old maiden by Wootton Bassett with Francis-Henri Graffard, racing under the colours of his breeder, Haras de la Pérelle, and a 2-year-old Oasis Dream colt exported to the Czech Republic after being purchased for €80,000 in Deauville last October.