Following Idao De Tillard’s rip-roaring Prix d’Amérique success last weekend, winning trainer and driver, Thierry and Clément Duvaldestin, were accompanied in the post-race press conference by David Thomain and Björn Goop.

Said 25 year-old Clément of his maiden Amérique victory. “It’s been a long and hard day but we’re happy that everything worked out well.”

Thierry added, “We stuck to the programme. A horse like that you simply have to trust because he has that ‘something else’. Even though he picked up a small virus three weeks ago, we knew we were going to run. Another matter we didn’t talk about publicly is that he took a knock. We iced it and it was better the next day. That was a stressful moment!”

“Idao De Tillard is not a horse that wins by ten lengths. He’s a super horse and unbeaten in 2023 when he didn’t fault,” continued Clément. His father admitted to fearing one horse in particular, “Before the race, I was really worried about Ampia Media Sm. She was right behind us and I thought to myself that Franck Nivard would just swallow us up, but Idao produced what was clearly the best performance of his career.”

Surprise second with Hokkaido Jiel [at 91/1], David Thomain said, “At the start, I was confident of placing. It’s a great result that rewards such historic colours. He’ll run in the Prix de France [11 February] if he has recovered well enough.” Said Björn Goop of his 3rd place with Joviality, “My horse has enormous capacity. It’s only right that in a race like that, she would thereabouts at the finish. We’re hopeful we can do it next year. But what Idao De Tillard did today is incredible. Right now, he’s the best trotter in the world.”