Prix d’Amérique: Hokkaido Jiel crowns Franck Nivard’s triumphant comeback

Franck Nivard made a spectacular return to the top on Sunday, January 25, at Vincennes, winning the 105th edition of the Prix d’Amérique behind Hokkaido Jiel, a nine-year-old French trotter.

At 46, the Norman driver claimed victory in the most prestigious race in the trotting world, which brings together the 18 best horses on the planet each year. The achievement is all the more remarkable given that Nivard had been absent from start lists for several weeks after being suspended following a positive alcohol test carried out on December 1, 2024, during the Grand National du Trot final at Vincennes. His suspension ran until January 8, 2025, echoing a similar incident in 2012.

A perfectly timed attack

In a race run at a strong pace over 2,700 meters, favourites Go On Boy and Josh Power set the tempo for much of the contest. Positioned in mid-pack, Hokkaido Jiel travelled smoothly before unleashing a powerful burst of speed in the home straight, overtaking Josh Power and Epic Kronos in the final strides.

Second in the 2024 edition, the bay-colored gelding confirmed his consistency at the highest level and this time stepped onto the top of the podium. He succeeds Idao de Tillard, the two-time defending champion who missed this edition for health reasons.

Josh Power finished second after leading for a long time.
“I didn’t want to take any risks. He was brave as always, but he ran into a sniper,” said his driver Sébastien Ernault after the race.
Driven by Mathieu Abrivard, Epic Kronos claimed third place ahead of Just Love You.

The race also saw early mistakes from two well-backed contenders, Iroise de la Noé and Keep Going.

A prestigious reward

The connections of Hokkaido Jiel, a son of Brillantissime, received the €450,000 winner’s prize, part of the €1 million total purse shared among the top seven finishers.
The trophy was presented by Aurore Bergé, France’s Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, to trainer Jean-Luc Dersoir and stable manager Éric Frémiot.

On the entertainment side, singer and rapper Gims electrified the audience during an opening ceremony that blended music and light.

©2026 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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