Horse racing in France a very popular sport and it is the home to some of the biggest races in the world. France has produced some of the world’s leading horses, trainers and jockeys over the years with many becoming household names in their own right.
French horse racing itself is entirely governed by France Galop, a central authority which oversees everything from the organisation of 6,500 races across the country to several aspects of breeding, training and riding.
Big French Races
Just like in any other horse racing jurisdiction the most prestigious thoroughbred races are the Group One races. Each year, France Galop organises 27 such races on the flat, and nine over jumps and the majority of them are available in our horse racing betting section throughout the course of the year.
Flat Highlights
From May through to July, the Classics for three-year-olds take place, starting with the Poules d’Essai (Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches), two races for colts and fillies individually over a mile. These are the equivalents to the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas in the UK.
Next up in the calendar are the Prix du Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly, both run over 1 mile and 2½ furlongs a month later in early June.
The third instalment of the Classic season takes place at Paris Longchamp in mid-July with the running of the Grand Prix de Paris (1½ miles), also for three-year-olds. Shortly after this, the Classic generation must finally meet their elders on the track.
Deauville’s Summer Meeting dominates the French Flat programme at the end of July and throughout the month of August. The Prix Morny is the first championship race for two-year-olds, taking place close to the yearling sales.
The Prix Jacques Le Marois, run in mid-August, is one of top three races in the world over a mile and three other Group One’s are contested during this popular meeting.
The Grand Prix season returns to Paris in the autumn, with the seasonal highlight coming every year on the first weekend of October, with the world famous Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at Paris- Longchamp.
The prep races for Europe’s richest turf race take place on Arc Trials Day three weeks earlier at the same venue.
Jumps Highlights
All the Group One jumps races take place at Auteuil, either in the spring or autumn.
From March to July, the best horses in each discipline from every age group (three, four, and five years old upwards) prepare their climb towards the top-tier meetings in Paris.
These take place on the second last weekend of May with the running of the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris, and the second weekend in June, when the Grande Course de Haies d’Auteuil takes place.
The International Jumps Weekend, which takes place at the beginning of November, is another highlight on the jumps calendar.
At this meeting an equivalent of the Grand Steeple (Prix La Haye Jousselin) is run, as well as the Grande Course de Haies d’Automne.
Auteuil keeps on racing until it closes its gates at the beginning of December. After that point, some trainers then decide to go south for the winter to venues such as Cagnes-sur-Mer or Pau to ply their trade.
So in summary, the calendar for the key French races each year is as follows:
- May - French 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas (Paris-Longchamp)
- May - Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris (Auteuil)
- June - French Derby and Oaks (Chantilly)
- July - Grand Prix de Paris (Paris-Longchamp)
- August - Deauville's month long Group One meetings (Deauville)
- September - Arc Trials Day (Paris-Longchamp)
- October - Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting (Paris-Longchamp)
- November - 48 Heures de l'Obstacle (Auteuil)
You can find the full schedule of French Group One’s, Two’s, Three’s and Listed Races via the French Black Type Season.
Main French Racecourses
With well over 200 racecourses in France there is generally something available for punters to bet on with Flat fixtures, Jumps, and Trotting cards, with most of them being particularly plentiful at the weekend.
During the summer months, the big Flat yards switch their attentions primarily to the coastal town of Deauville where the two tracks (Deauville and Clairefontaine) stage a plethora of fixtures, including a Group One every weekend in August.
Any summer jumps action away from Paris takes place primarily at Clairefontaine, which also holds Flat racing too.
From December to February the all-weather tracks at Chantilly and Deauville keep the north of country ticking over, while the south tend to race on the all-weather at Marseille and Lyon.
The winter jumps meetings take place at Cagnes-Sur-Mer from the beginning of December until mid-January, and at Pau which continues through to February. A popular Christmas Day fixture regularly tales place at Pau.
Top French Jockeys & Trainers
France has produced a number of world-class jockeys and trainers over the decades, but none more famous than Yves Saint-Martin.
He won French Champion Jockey a total of 15 times and his stellar racing career included four Arcs, four Grand Prix du Paris and five Prix de Diane races among all the countless other high-profile victories he amassed.
On the French training scene, one of the greats is still training to this day. Andre Fabre was a highly successful jumps jockey before turning his hand to training. He has been crowned the champion trainer no less than 30 times and his CV is just mind blowing.
Not only has he captured the Arc and Grand Prix du Paris, but also the Breeders Cup and Arlington Million in the US, along with the Derby and the St Leger in Great Britain.
France currently has a great crop of jockeys riding at the top of their game in the country. As of March 2020 the top Flat riders include Pierre- Charles Boudot (last year’s Arc winner), Christophe Soumillon, Maxime Guyon and Cristian Demuro.
As for the current top Flat trainers, these include the legendary Andre Fabre, Jean-Claude Rouget, Henri-Alex Pantall, Carlos Laffon-Parias and Frederic Rossi.
You can find out if any of the French racecourses are racing today by checking our daily sport updates.
*Credit for the main photo belongs to Michel Euler / AP Photo*
