French weekend of bright colours and great challenges. Forty thousand spectators were the setting for a unique spectacle. The winner of the Amerique Legend Race, for the second year running, was Idao de Tillard, driven by 27-year-old Clement Duvaldestin, who won by force in edition no. 104. The leading figure of the two-day Parisian event was Antonio Somma, the histrionic owner of Frank Gio and Golden Gio, the darlings of the Bivans stable, who inflamed the Italian public flocking to the classic late January weekend in cold Paris with their victories. We contacted him for his report on the sporting aspect and explanations on the gauntlet thrown down to Allaire, owner of the phenomenal Ginostrabliggi.
Antonio, what was the Prix D’Amerique like?
It was exciting, where the most expected horses emerged, except for the second Just Love You. A Go on Boy, third, came off worse than Idao de Tillard, who ran covered in third parleys and at the final 600 metres the class of the Duvaldestin pupil came out.
In his last interview with me, he said that Frank Gio will be a star at the next Amerique. After Saturday’s victory in the Gp Prix Ourasi Gr.1, is he more and more convinced?
Sebastien Guarato confirmed this to me. The horse will have even more experience in a year’s time and then he has the means, power, flexibility and quality of a Prix D’ Amerique champion.
Golden Gio, he won the Prix Paul Viel, Gr. 2 with ease for the first time in the 2,700. What kind of horse is he?
He obviously doesn’t have the experience and flexibility of Frank Gio, but he has a great engine and a lot of head. He will be a great horse.
Garibaldi united Italy, you divided it in a few minutes with the gauntlet. But how did it occur to you to bet €500,000 on Golden Gio beating Ginostrabliggi by Allaire?
Epic challenges have always been a part of horse racing. I think they are good for horse racing. Philippe Allaire said that his horse is the strongest in the world and I instinctively responded. Mine is a provocation to his assertion. Do you think, the Manager of Solvalla, would have made the racecourse available for this duel. Even the General Manager of Trotteur Francais, Guillaume Maupas, would have supported us with the press. Although it will never happen, as I see it, I managed to stir the waters that had been too stagnant. When you bring strong arguments to the table, it is normal for opinions to diverge. I am aware of that.
Being a Gascon in Italy annoys. Do you like to provoke?
Yes, I like it a lot. There must be competition in everything. I don’t like to lose that is clear and successes give me the energy to continue investing in horses. Those who criticise any initiative are the keyboard lions, because they don’t know what they are talking about. Instead, I have had the favourable support of journalists, trainers and drivers. Yesterday Matthieu Millet, the owner of Hunter Valley, who is a promoter of many initiatives, a very forward man, was reportedly willing to look for sponsors to even organise a six-horse challenge. As you can see, the experienced interlocutors support me. I repeat, some disapproving social profiles leave time to be found.
Antonio why did he launch a challenge between Golden Gio and Ginostrabliggi on the 2850 m and not on the mile?
Golden Gio can beat Ginostrabliggi over any distance and I said 2,850, with a 50-metre lead, to make a good impression and give Allaire’s pupil a better chance, who remains an excellent horse of large size, American genealogy, trained by an important trainer.
In conclusion, even if it will remain only a virtual duel, Antonio Somma’s words have served some purpose, to put some spice back into a world horse-racing that has really experienced them: Seabisquit and War Admiral at the beginning of the 20th century, Tornese and Crevalcore in the 1970s and many others.
