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Remember Ben with a gift to Thoroughbred aftercare Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts Home » Archive » Top News Europe » Criterium De Maisons-Laffitte Next Target For Electrolyte G3 Prix Eclipse hero Electrolyte (Ire) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) is pointing toward the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly on Oct One of two group winners for his first-year sire the son of the winning Bibury (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) graduated at Ayr in June to Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) in the G2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot for Archie Watson Kept busy with a fifth-place appearance in the G2 July Stakes at Newmarket and a sixth in the G2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood at the end of that month “We were absolutely delighted with his run we'd given him a break after Goodwood and he went to Hillwood Stud and spent some time in the field,” said Brown “That freshened him up and it was a very pleasing performance I thought Mickael Barzalona gave him a brilliant ride “Six [furlongs] is definitely going to be his game We were very happy and it was a good performance “The most likely race for him is the Group 2 back at Chantilly Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts. Copy Article Link Editor / News Stories:editor@thetdn.com Advertising:advertising@thetdn.com Customer Service:customerservice@thetdn.com Click Here to sign up for a free subscription which points out that this disruption is due to a"road accident blocking the tracks at Poissy" has announced that traffic will resume around 7pm traffic is also disrupted in both directions between Maisons-Laffitte and Nanterre - Préfecture For more information and to find a route that takes this disruption into account users are invited to visit the"Route Search" section of the app RER A: upcoming works and closuresDue to new modernization work, traffic will be interrupted several times on RER line A in April 2025. That's what RATP has announced. Find out more about the detailed timetable for these upcoming works and closures on RER line A. [Read more] Refer your establishment, click herePromote your event, click here Home » Archive » Top News Europe » Blue Point's Sky Majesty Battles to Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte Triumph at Chantilly William Haggas had already annexed the Listed Prix Saraca earlier on Chantilly's Saturday card and made it an afternoon stakes double by taking the feature event the €190,000 G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte with the hitherto unbeaten Sky Majesty (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}–Majestic Alexander {Ire} who maintained her perfect record with a gutsy display in heavy conditions 19 debut score at Newbury with a neck victory in Ayr's Sept went postward as the 13-5 second choice and broke well to stalk the leaders in a handy third through the early fractions of this six-furlong test Coming under pressure soon after passing the quarter-mile marker she gained an edge entering the final furlong and was ridden out from there to deny G1 Prix Morny third and G1 Cheveley Park Stakes runner-up Daylight (Fr) (Earthlight {Ire}) by 1 1/4 lengths Marcel Rolland trainee Une Pointure (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) made a bold bid from the front and kept on well once headed to finish one length back in third “She is a gifted filly,” commented winning rider Christophe Soumillon “She followed the leader very easily and There is no doubt that she will stay further — France Galop (@francegalop) October 12, 2024 Copy Article Link This year, in the middle of spring break 2025 Easter egg hunts are a long-established tradition in France particularly in Paris and the Île-de-France region where numerous events are organized to celebrate this springtime holiday Eggs laid during this period were preserved The custom of hiding eggs in gardens dates back to the XVIIIᵉ century becoming a fun activity for children over time that later gave rise to our famous egg hunts Every year, the Paris region offers a multitude of egg hunts for families, particularly in the Yvelines department where the Tourist Office is offering several events for Easter 2025 a mystery egg will be hidden in a Maisons-Laffitte shop: your mission Find it and bring it to the Tourist Office an exclusive clue will be revealed on social networks and at the Tourist Office Drop in at the Tourist Office and draw a number at random with the draw taking place on Thursday April 17 This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Horse racing magazine for the training and development of the thoroughbred racehorse COMPLETE THE EUROPEAN TRAINERS' DAILY RATES 2017 SURVEY HERE We use cookies and similar technologies to run this website and help us understand how you use it. View our cookie policy here Trainer Magazine - the horse racing magazine for the training and development of the thoroughbred racehorse Articles from the European Trainer Magazine archive - available to read online A visitor arriving at Maisons-Laffitte from Paris is greeted as he crosses the bridge over the Seine by a spectacular view of the town’s 15th century baroque chateau Signage announces arrival in ‘Maisons-Laffitte but the town still revolves very much around the horse of which approximately 1,000—half of them racehorses—are stabled in the wooded parkland Supporters of the racecourse hope that a project will be validated to see the track reopen as soon as 2023 while the training community is revitalised following a 1.5 million Euro investment in facilities and the team is keen to attract new professionals.  ‘The situations with the racecourse and the training centre are two separate subjects France Galop is focused upon ensuring continuity for the training centre We have not closed the door to the possibility of racing returning to Maisons-Laffitte it will not be organised by France Galop.  ‘There is no racing currently planned for Maisons-Laffitte and none for next year or in the future unless new elements enter the picture France Galop is working in partnership with the town council because if there is to be a future for the track it will certainly involve both parties; and the mayor is very keen for the racecourse to re-open The idea is to seek a new economic model to make use of the buildings and facilities and therefore finance their upkeep while France Galop would contribute the prize money and a share of the maintenance costs This is the model used for provincial racecourses in France the costs involved in Maisons-Laffitte are higher than at the country tracks It is important that any racing at Maisons-Laffitte in the future be organised to a high standard in accordance with the track’s status as a Parisian and premium track.  France Galop published a call for expressions of interest and will analyse which projects could be compatible with a commercial exploitation of the racecourse and buildings in conjunction with the organization of racing We have received a number of dossiers including some quite creative concepts—from varying profiles of operators to envisaging different ways of promoting the site The responses are a mixed bag with some quite structured and some more exotic ideas We hope to be able to select one or two projects to work on a viable business plan France Galop will not validate any project unless we are certain of its financial sustainability as the last thing we want is for the racecourse to open and then close again shortly after or for the new operator to lose money and call in the racing authorities to help out The whole process will be carried out in full consultation with the town of Maisons-Laffitte and in a best-case scenario when the racecourse was closed by France Galop to reduce expenditure the French racing authority announced an ambitious investment programme of 1.5€ million to modernise and improve the town’s racehorse training facilities Olivier Delloye is pleased with the results: ‘I visited Maisons-Laffitte last week and found that there was a very positive atmosphere with trainers optimistic about the future It is clear that the professionals based in Maisons-Laffitte have not lost clients due to the closure of the racecourse and recent results show that the facilities are perfectly adapted for training all types of horses—from juveniles to top milers and the best steeple-chasers of Auteuil’ CLICK HERE to return to issue contents 4 x print issue and online subscription to European Trainer & online North American Trainer Access to all digital back issues of both editions Your subscription will start with the July-September 2025 issue - published at the end of June If you wish to receive a copy of the most recent issue Jean René de Longueil imagined this wealthy residence on the edge of the forest of Saint-Germain en Laye at a strategic location precisely on the path leading the king from the Château du Louvre to the Château de Saint-Germain en Laye The idea was ingenious: to meet the king by offering him a short break during his journey The nobleman then called on Mansart to build the edifice which was inaugurated in April 1651 at a celebration for the young Louis XIV Jean René de Longueil was confident of winning the king's good graces He even went so far as to reserve a wing of the building for him including a ballroom designed for the Sun King as well as a bedroom with an interlocking domed ceiling Discover almost 300 years of history with activities for young and old le programme est mis à jour en fonction des annonces officielles Happy Heritage Days in Yvelines Home » Archive » Top News Europe » Adam West Opens Satellite Yard In France Adam West and Live In The Dream | Racingfotos.com Trainer Adam West has sent 12 horses to Maisons-Laffitte in France and opened a satellite yard there The 35-year-old is the trainer of G1 Nunthorpe Stakes hero Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) “I immediately really liked Maisons-Laffitte,” West told Jour de Galop from the track on Friday morning I chose to come to France because the working conditions and the way of life are appreciable The breeder of Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) Stuart McPhee was one of the people who convinced me to take the plunge “The economic side are taken into account of course but I am well aware that I will probably not become filthy rich by becoming a trainer in France The structure and orientation of the French sector are much better medium-sized trainers have a chance of making it where they are in great difficulty…I am very happy to join the Maisons-Laffitte training team.” West will saddle his first runners under both codes beginning in 2025 and he admits that a permanent move to France is not out of the question “It's looking like we'll permanently move to France but I'd like to find my feet first,” he told Racing Post Copy Article Link Every last Sunday of the month, Maisons-Laffitte, in the Yvelines department hosts the traditional classic car gathering After Vincennes en Anciennes and Suresnes Rétro the world of vintage cars comes to Maisons-Laffitte every last weekend of the month The good news is that the event is open to all Organized by the Écuries de voitures anciennes de Maisons-Laffitte et Mesnil-le-Roi (EVAMM) the event is reserved for vehicles and motorcycles over 30 years old and access is strictly limited to pre-1992 vehicles at the Maisons-Laffitte racecourse parking lot with easy access to the treasures of Paris Lovers ofunusual accommodation will opt for perched cabins such as the Nautilus air-conditioned Bord de Seine cottage with its private garden Gangs of friends will also find what they're looking for with the Cottage Friends a combination of two luxury mobile homes around a large terrace The RER A transports campers in no time to the Champs-Élysées the Louvre Museum or even Disneyland Paris for a headache-free way to discover the region Camping Paris Maisons-Laffitte combines the best of both worlds for a memorable getaway in the Paris region Home » Archive » Top News Europe » Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse Sale Goes Through A field heads for the wire at Maisons-Laffitte | Scoop Dyga which was in operation until November of 2018 Included in the sale to the Etablissement Public Foncier d'Ile-de-France (EPFIF) mandated by the City of Maisons-Laffitte includes buildings on the site including the grandstand and the golf course installed in the centre of the courses Negotiations for the sale of the property were held throughout 2022 The news of the successful sale was welcomed by France Galop the City of Maisons-Laffitte had expressed interest in the site and in October of the same year the Maisons-Laffitte City Council had given their approval for a purchase offer made by the EPFIF Following negotiations with the various stakeholders the members of the France Galop Committee voted in December 2022 to sell the Maisons-Laffitte racecourse Copy Article Link A life-size game where suspense and chocolate go hand in hand the adventure continues inside the château Then head for Maisons-Laffitte for a royal egg hunt The Christmas show season is open! Fairytale settings, fantastic costumes, castles and tales of all kinds... at Maisons-Laffitte castle the fairytale"Beauty and the Beast" takes you straight back to the time of the kings of France It's the perfect opportunity to finally feel like a princess or prince and experience life in a castle Get into the swing of things with this enchanting show, on view from November 9 to December 15, 2024, just in time for the Christmas season so you can experience the tale as if you were there.. will be on hand to bring this fairytale to life Following in the footsteps of Disney's famous cartoon and Cocteau's film adaptation, the Château de Maisons-Laffitte at the end of the year offers a magical fairytale experience the show offers a unique fairytale experience guiding us through a journey where we follow the characters throughout the story the huge dining room where dinner is about to be served all the more so as groups are limited to a maximum of 40 people allowing you to immerse yourself completely in this magical fairy tale This year's new features include a new ball with new music and choreography to discover (but shhh Are you ready for a magical adventure in the heart of the Château de Maisons-Laffitte Whether they're themed, country-focused, genre-focused, sport-focused or other there's plenty of feature films and shorts to discover most of the cinemas where these festivals take place accept Cinepass and UGC Unlimited subscriptions here's a guide to film festivals in Paris and the Ile-de-France region Paris Chinese Film Festival 2025The Festival du Cinéma Chinois returns to Paris, from May 26 to June 14, 2025, in several of the capital's cinemas. Discover the program! [Read more] we invite you to read or re-read our other cinema guides Cinema: which film to see today, this Tuesday May 6, 2025?Not sure which film to see today? Well, we've got plenty of films to show near you. [Read more] Cinema: our guide to cinema releases by genreComedy, drama, horror, action - if you don't know what to choose, we've got you covered! Discover all our guides to current and upcoming cinema releases, sorted by genre. [Read more] The sparse crowd in the Tribune Stand for the final meeting at Maisons-Laffitte Photo: John GilmoreSome of Europe’s finest horses have run there - Blushing Groom Moonlight Cloud and Makfi chief among them not to mention subsequent Epsom Derby and Arc hero Mill Reef who was second to the outstanding 2-year-old My Swallow in the 1970 Prix Robert Papin which was opened in 1878 and is undoubtedly one of the best racetracks in the Paris region The closure prompted the legendary Freddy Head to say It’s a mythical racecourse known worldwide and I don’t understand why France Galop acted in this way gloomy autumn day (on October 29) seemed an appropriate setting for its final meeting certainly for one year and possibly for good.  has for many years battled to prevent the closure as France Galop looked at ways of cutting costs with PMU betting revenue in decline France Galop announced the historic racecourse Prix Eugène Adam and Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte) Myard has acted quickly to form a private Société des Course proposing to take over staffing daily non-racing operations at Maisons-Laffitte with race-day prize money and admin staff financed by France Galop The société would also stage regular events and functions as well as maintaining a restaurant and Salle de Sport fitness area in the Tribune Stand to generate extra income on non-racing days.  Discussions are still ongoing as to whether racing can continue at all but it’s too late for next year and the hope now is France Galop will relent and give the green light for 2021 Maisons-Laffitte is without doubt one of the best Parisian tracks a good stable area and a stand that makes for easy viewing.  Unfortunately it’s a long time since there were large crowds at race days there and numbers have been steadily declining at the adjacent training area since 1952 when it was the number one training centre in France with 2,100 horses stabled there The figure is less than a quarter of that now I was initially surprised to discover there was no information either outside or inside the track to indicate the racecourse was closing down.  disappointing considering all the town’s efforts to save the course in the past few months So we had an afternoon’s racing without any real atmosphere most people in Maisons-Laffitte outside the racing community work in Paris so it’s difficult for younger working people to go racing during the week The region is spoiled for choice - you can go racing at one of the flat jump or trotting tracks nearly every day between April and October It was ironic that the first G3 on the card for perhaps the last meeting there was the Prix Miesque won by the somewhat aptly named Dream And Do ridden by Freddy Head and trained by Francois Boutin won the 1987 Prix Imprudence there in 1987 before going on to capture both the English and French 1000 Guineas and consecutive Breeders’ Cup Miles.  “It’s a sad day for French racing and nobody likes to see a racecourse close especially a major track like Maisons-Laffitte with its unique straight but France Galop needs to make some cost savings with betting revenue falling.”  Most of the racegoers I spoke with agreed it was sad to see the course close Closure of the racecourse will undoubtedly have a negative effect on owners wishing to have horses trained at Maisons-Laffitte even though France Galop is investing €1.5 million to modernise the training area and make it more cost-effective.  The training area was capable of catering for 1,500 horses France Galop’s running costs for it showed a €2.4 million deficit in 2017.  31 of the 42 jobs at the training area and racecourse will go Some older employees will take early retirement while the rest will be re-employed at other France Galop racetracks France Galop estimates this will save €5 million annually What will happen to the track from now on is uncertain France Galop owns the track and its vast open space racecourse which has no commercial value to sell off as it is adjacent to the River Seine and a flood risk It will still prove expensive even if remaining empty as France Galop must continue to pay the annual land tax of €285,365 and union dues of €187,211.  But more important will be the continued cost of general maintenance which will now have to be done by a private company as France Galop has now no maintenance staff employed there “France Galop has agreed to the local region putting on three events in the interior of Tribune Stand during the next six months for a New Year’s activity and two other commercial private wine events.” Myard seemed confident France Galop would eventually agree to the Société Des Course taking over running the racecourse France Galop directors continue to demand further assurances concerning the proposal and the decision is currently being held up by France Galop’s presidential election on December 16 for which Edouard Rothschild is seeking re-election Saving money on the administrative side would appear to be crucial as pointed out by former French Budget Minister Jean Arthuis in his report on the state of French racing last November overall PMU turnover has fallen from €10.4 million in 2013 to €9.704 million last year and is set for a further decline of at least two percent this year.  have fallen €76 million to €780 million since 2013 and a further decline seems on the cards this year with France Galop’s dwindling reserves after the €140 million spent to refurbish Longchamp that overall prize money will have to be cut has already reduced its prize money allocation by €26 million for 2019 My gut feeling is France Galop will re-open the course in 2021.  It has nothing to do with the real issue - how to deal with continued falling betting turnover The track has been used inefficiently for years with not enough use being made of the course’s facilities on non-racedays French employment laws make it expensive to cut staff no longer required - Maisons-Laffitte has been overstaffed for years because of falling horses-in-training numbers an issue France Galop is only now addressing The whole thing begs the question: what will France Galop do about the annual race program it funds for the country’s other 141 tracks where Thoroughbred racing takes place if annual income continues to fall but the 2,000-metre strip at Maisons-Laffitte has been falling into disrepair since racing stopped there a year ago Photo: John GilmoreIt’s two years since France Galop shocked the racing community by announcing that historic Maisons-Laffitte racecourse to the west of Paris would close at the end of 2019 as part of a cost-saving exercise which also included reducing the adjacent training centre because of the diminishing number of horses in training local mayor Jacques Myard has been trying to get the course reopened by having a private company set up to take over the day-to-day running similar to one operating successfully at Clairefontaine near Deauville the Covid pandemic has brought real problems for that idea Despite the prospect of no racing at Maisons-Laffitte in 2021 Myard is still hopeful the course will reopen eventually under a private operator “We continue the negotiations with France Galop to find some solutions,” he said had been under the threat of closure for many years The track and training area are intrinsically linked and it is this uncertainty that has been one of the main reasons why the number of horses in training has fallen by around 200 to the current 500 in the past eight years alone looking as though it has been neglected since its last meeting a year ago Closing Maisons-Laffitte has meant other Parisian racetracks becoming overused The closure seems to make little economic sense as France Galop cannot sell it for financial gain as it is so close to the Seine and as a consequence is a flood risk.  France Galop has downsized the training gallops at Maisons-Laffitte and invested €1.5 million to modernise The previous gallops were designed to cater for up to 2,000 horses and there haven’t been that many for half a century!   “Even if it’s heartbreaking for most of the local trainers the economical situation had to be taken into account and the restructuring of the training gallops is the result of months of discussions between France Galop and the trainers,” said Veronique Bertran de Balanda wife of Maisons-Laffitte trainer Bertran de Balanda “They all had to change their habits but the majority of them agree that the quality of the gallops is very good even though some adjustments on the size and the watering had to be done Nothing can be more meaningful than the results of Maisons-Laffitte trainers these last months on the flat and over obstacles.”  Jumps trainer Yan Fouin has won 22 races to date this year and €799,000 in prize money Gianluca Bietolini captured the G3 Prix de Flore at Saint-Cloud on October 24 with Grand Glory.  Bietolini does not feel complaints about the state of the gallops are justified “Each time any training gallops are renewed the unprecedented health crisis that hit us all the reduced staffing plus the heat wave with the absence of rainfall for several months significantly made the period of establishment much longer.” we were finally able to see a significant improvement in the quality of the training gallops and we now have the best training area in terms of excellent drainage.” Bietolini is confident the training centre has a future and that discussions concerning the racecourse will be positive “The trainers’ negotiations with France Galop have demonstrated France Galop’s desire to see the sustainability of the training centre through the investments they have made and the hope that the racecourse will re-open again is very strong,” he said who took out a public training licence in France in 2008 is one of several trainers that have recently decided to go elsewhere renting boxes at Alain Bates’s stable in Maisons-Laffitte which was right across the street from my house,” she said.  “When I left journalism and took out a public licence in 2008 when we bought a yard from France Galop in Maisons-Laffitte Talk that France Galop wanted to shut down Maisons-Laffitte had been going on for decades and there were definitely signs that it would eventually happen.  “The prices of the yards being sold by France Galop were far below market value which is why I and my husband Tim bought one but the prices were so cheap that we had hoped to stay at least ten years or so France Galop closed two thirds of the training centre and the racecourse plus resurfaced and reduced the size of the gallops that remained the maintenance staff was cut back to almost nothing I had more horses go lame with foot problems from stepping on stones in six months than I’d had in the past six years.” “When the coronavirus shut down racing with the future looking bleak for Maisons-Laffitte I had two choices: Either stop training or relocate so we looked at several options but soon realised we had to be on the gallops in Chantilly As one former Maisons-Laffitte trainer put it you realize if you want to make Champagne you have to live in Champagne.” Rarick has bought a spacious yard with one hectare of grounds 36 boxes (with 17 horses installed and two more on the way) and a separate house The famous Piste des Lions gallops are nearby She will need time to acclimatise but is hoping for better next year than the six wins to date this season which is half her total in both 2018 and 2019.  She finds it difficult to understand the current situation of allowing Maisons Laffitte track to close and fall into a state of neglect when as a result other Parisian racetracks are now suffering from overuse I think France Galop has made up its mind that racing is finished in Maisons Laffitte It is a shame for so many reasons - to lose the longest straight-line course in Europe chiefly among them.  “The racecourse is in a flood zone and is owned by France Galop so I’m not sure what else they could do there I think he was banking on history to protect racing and it wasn't enough.” France Galop has gone on record to say that it is keen to preserve the training facilities and has spent money upgrading them “There are still trainers in Maisons-Laffitte that are winning plenty of races so it’s working for somebody,” she said “My decision to leave was a personal one The training centre no longer offered a facility to work in the way that I had been accustomed to if I had to adapt to refurbished facilities I’d rather do it in a more versatile setting with a brighter future.” “Don’t forget that I used to work in print journalism I’ve seen the signs of closing up shop before and they seem very similar to what is happening at Maisons-Laffitte.” Rarick considers that the training centre at Maisons-Laffitte will not likely survive long-term if the track closes for good “I think it will continue for a while Recently Julien Carayon and Stephanie Penot came to Chantilly and Alain Bonin moved to Pau I think the future of Maisons-Laffitte is in the sport horse sector rather than in racing.” “The training gallops at Lamorlaye and nearby Chantilly are world-class I feel like I’ve left the bush league and moved into the premier league but also in the reception of France Galop and the infrastructure Everything you could need is right here.”  She considers the extra cost of being at Lamorlaye is worth it “The staff salaries are slightly higher The gallop fees are only €15 a month per horse higher for a staggering difference in both quantity and quality of facilities.  “The other costs are about the same as Maisons-Laffitte We do have some improvements to make to the yard I am confident this was an extremely good decision.” The Château de Maisons-Laffitte is located in the town of the same name although it is far less well-known than the royal city where Louis XIV built his immense palace a high-ranking magistrate in the Parliament of Paris decided to build a château on his family's estate in Maisons-sur-Seine Among the prestigious guests who passed through the château were Louis XIV and Voltaire... Château de Maisons passed from generation to generation within the de Longueil family brother of Louis XVI - and future King Charles X - purchased the property for hunting purposes the château passed through the hands of various owners who undertook extensive work to transform the estate Maisons-sur-Seine later became the town of Maisons-Laffitte After a final purchase and an inheritance problem the château was threatened with destruction by a property developer Thanks to a large-scale mobilization of the town's inhabitants who founded the Société des Amis du Château de Maisons the French government succeeded in saving the château and acquired it in its turn in 1905 the Château de Maisons-Laffitte was classified as a Historic Monument: since 1912 it has been open to visitors all year round enabling them to discover the history of the town The château is open every day except Tuesday, from 10am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 6pm (May 16 to September 25) and from 10am to 12:30pm and 2pm to 5pm (September 16 to May 15). For people with disabilities, the château offers specially adapted tours, details of which can be found on the château's website simply follow the underground towards Cergy-Pontoise Bezons towards Poissy via the N192 and then the N308 tree-lined training gallops of Maisons-Laffitte They are due to be modernised to cope with more horses Photo: Argos pour la Ville de Maisons LaffitteThis could be a make-or-break year for French racing’s finances as the state-run PMU bids to halt a slide in turnover from its terrestrial online racing down from €10.4 billion in 2013 to €9.704 billion last year The knock-on effect in the past six years has seen the PMU annual horserace funding of around eight percent of total turnover fall from €856 million to €780m The revenue is used to administer and finance prize money on a 50-50 basis for both trotting domestic betting on racing has fallen by €1.8 billion in the past six years to €7.691 billion in 2018 sports and poker betting last year totalling €2.104 billion left overall losses down 2.3 percent compared to 2017 when returns to racing were €13 million higher at €793 million The PMU hopes to stem the tide of falling racing revenue by introducing changes this year It had been adopting a policy of regularly increasing annual meetings covered from 6,400 in 2006 to 17,000 last year with around 20 percent fewer meetings on offer as the PMU looks to lower operating costs realising that increasing the number of daily meetings over a certain level did not equate to extra income from betting revenue The daily Quinté-plus race has been revamped with minimum prize money of €1 million guaranteed weekly - €2 million for major races with horserace betting turnover down again in January when the PMU Director Generale Cyril Lynette has already forecast profit from its betting operations to fund racing at the end of this year is projected to be €35 million lower at €745 million principally due to the PMU spending around €30 million on marketing and IT upgrades to try to increase business France Galop President Edouard Rothschild indicated last December that there would be no cuts in prize money for 2019 with dwindling reserves standing at just €35 million not helped by the recent €140 million spent to renew the ParisLongchamp Tribune stand and surrounding area Le Trot has taken a more cautious approach and reduced overall annual prize money allocation this year by €26 million France Galop shocked the racing world last November when announcing plans to close historic Maisons-Laffitte racecourse France Galop also runs the Parisian tracks of ParisLongchamp The idea is to transfer the 24 annual meetings which includes three G2s (Prix Robert Papin Prix Eugène Adam and Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte) to other courses The privately run Fontainebleau has been mentioned as one possibility A key problem is that meetings in the Paris region have a higher daily PMU turnover than provincial ones so revenue may be lost if any of the 24 meetings at Maisons-Laffitte are transferred to country tracks This is part of a planned cost-saving exercise tree-lined training centre there modernised at a cost of €1.5 million so it can to handle 1,500 horses - it currently has fewer than 500 Rothschild estimates another €5 million will be saved annually by cutting 30 of the 42 jobs (racecourse and training area) and closing the track, although much consultation will be needed beforehand Mayor Jacques Myard meanwhile insists that closing Maisons-Laffitte makes no economic sense He said racedays there cost €150,000-€180,000 to run By contrast ParisLongchamp works out at €600,000 a meeting and the annual rent to Paris for both Auteuil and Longchamp is €10 million but the vast open space racecourse area has no commercial value to sell off - as it is impossible to build on being adjacent to the River Seine and a possible flood risk And it will still cost money even if the track closes as France Galop would have to continue paying land tax and union dues as well as maintaining the Tribune stand and terrain The town council would also lose the one percent of PMU turnover it receives annually from betting on Maisons-Laffitte’s 24 meetings just a few days after France Galop announced the closure and the 32 Maisons-Laffitte Municipal Council members attended an action meeting to save the racecourse Thousands of members of the the public have signed a petition to this effect either in the Mairie (Town Hall) or on the website The town is also conscious of the knock-on effect closure would have on local employment for many enterprises are associated with racecourse activities France Galop is now indicating it is exploring all options which could include the possible takeover of the day-to-day running of the course the town council is studying different possibilities with Regional President Valerie Pecresse likely to be involved in future discussions with France Galop A key issue for France Galop is to find increasing ways of maximising income at the tracks it operates from other uses The crowd for midweek meetings barely gets past 500 that hadn’t been such a problem as it was offset by the thriving betting business more efficient use of France Galop’s racecourses has become a priority and closing the track would have a detrimental effect on the number of horses trained at Maisons Laffitte which has fallen by over 200 in the past five years Pascal Adda (pictured) is one five trainers who have formed a committee to discuss the way forward with France Galop concerning the training area the track would have been closed a long time ago,” said Adda “For the past 15 years Maisons-Laffitte has been living under the threat of closure at anytime so it’s normal the number of horses trained here has fallen under these uncertain conditions.” in the Chantilly region there are now fewer than 2,000 horses in training Despite the advantage of being ideally placed for the top meetings in the Paris region both Chantilly and Maisons-Laffitte trainers have suffered from the same problem with more and more owners looking to save money by having horses trained in the provinces where basic training fees are around €2,000-€3,000 cheaper with Maisons-Laffitte showing a €2.4 million deficit and Chantilly €3.6 million down for 2017 Chantilly charges €85 a month per horse for use of the gallops and Maisons-Laffitte €78 has trained at Maisons-Laffitte for the past six years He also runs the racing syndicate Ecurie Club Radio RMC which he set up with a radio station that has four million regular listeners “There are currently two groups thinking about taking over running the track under a similar situation that operates at Clairefontaine [racecourse “The track could get extra income from putting on events Discussions between the representative trainers’ committee and France Galop officials during March and April will centre on their €1.5 million promised investment and changes required for modernising the training area “It is vital to include a new training track to replace the old sand track and a well-balanced and more professional and cost-effective service in relation to charges,” said Adda There are currently 35 trainers in Maisons-Laffitte Despite falling numbers of horses and the uncertainty of the track’s future it has still attracted some new ones in recent years Former French Finance Minister Jean Arthuis who chairs the European Parliament’s budget committee completed a 141-page report on the state of French racing last November as requested by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe Among his recommendations was to transfer the organisation of the race calendar prize money and disciplinary issues from France Galop and Le Trot to the Federation Nationale des Courses Hippiques (FNCH) and thereby reduce the duplication of the two sports I asked Arthuis whether annual salaries of 26 top managerial staff at France Galop totalling €8 million were reasonable considering the work involved “It is essential to justify the corresponding added value for each position which equally includes the salaries for managerial staff Certain conventions are historically dated,” he said in order to make efficient savings and economies a number of functions must be pooled together in the FNCH which exist also in the parent companies France Galop and Le Trot.” Another important conclusion in the report concerned the simplification of the bets offered by the PMU and its withdrawal from the poker and sports betting market with the possibility also of looking at ways the European Commission might be inclined to reverse a 2015 ruling that separated PMU horseracing on course and betting outlet pools from PMU online wagering pools Some bets are in process of being simplified this year by the PMU but it is unlikely that it is in a position to withdraw from the poker and sports betting market any time soon Poker and sports betting contributed €873 million in turnover last year with sports betting 9.6 percent higher than in 2017 if the PMU could get the European Commission to reverse the 2015 ruling this would undoubtedly stimulate betting turnover Arthuis also indicated in the report that VAT rates on sale of breeding stock and young horses could be given a special agricultural tariff of ten percent by the European Commission By contrast the rival gambling outfit La Francaise des Jeux which runs the nation’s scratch card has gone from strength to strength during the period PMU turnover has been falling It has steadily increased turnover each year from €12.35 billion in 2013 to €15.8 billion in 2018 Lottery and the PMU are competing with each other in 11,000 cafe bar outlets The French are not typically a horseracing people and instant lottery/scratch card prizes tends to have more general appeal It’s interesting to note that the most successful racing bet is the daily pool race It generates around 25 percent of daily betting the weekly Euro Millions cross-Europe bet has been a big winner Perhaps this could be a way forward for the PMU - to compete and develop a European superbet once a week with all European racing nations taking part The French Quinté-plus race could be the stepping stone where players will perhaps need to find the first six home in correct order to make it more difficult to win the jackpot The European Commission would hardly object - it already allows state lotteries to do the same thing The argument is strong that closing Maisons-Laffitte will not cure the underlying problems facing French racing’s finances And there is also a powerful case for big changes at France Galop - including cuts to administrative costs more proactive marketing and development of other activities for its racecourses to generate extra income All eyes will be on the PMU this year as any further drop in horserace betting turnover will undoubtedly affect France Galop’s core funding making across-the-board reduction in prize money allocation next year inevitable Photo: © APRHFrance’s classic season gets underway on Thursday with two key trials at historic Maisons-Laffitte Racecourse a track that is part of an equine paradise in the suburbs of Paris the Prix Djebel (for colts) and Prix Imprudence (for fillies) two 1,400-metre (seven furlong) contests recently upgraded to G3 are stepping stones to the two French Guineas on May 10 yet in practice they are at least as relevant as prep races for the English equivalents at Newmarket a week earlier That’s because the straight track at the Paris track has far more in common with Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse than it does with neighbouring Longchamp who has won the Prix Djebel a record six times explained: “The Djebel and Imprudence are very good trials for the English Guineas as they are never very tough races and the track is the most similar to that of Newmarket though the straight at Maisons-Laffitte is easier to ride I love riding the straight at this track as it trains me up and gets me ready for the English Guineas.” He added: “The straight track [has] no tricky bits It is very flat and straightforward and the ground is always on the easy side due to the River Seine running alongside.” Certainly the races have sound credentials as trials for both sets of classics Style Vendome was the last colt to record the double in France (in 2013) while Elusive Wave achieved the same feat in the French fillies’ races in 2009 But Djebel and Imprudence winners have also gone on to shine at Newmarket the colt Makfi followed up his Djebel win by taking the 2,000 Guineas in 2010 who took the 1,000 Guineas two years earlier The two trials are among a number of important races that have attracted some of the best horses in the world to Maisons-Laffitte over the years chief among them being Miesque and her son Kingmambo These top horses have been competing in the track’s feature races: two G2s for 2-year-olds the Prix Robert Papin (which was a G1 until 1987) over 1,100 metres in July and the Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte over 1,200 metres in late October or early November and the G2 Prix Eugene Adam (Grand Prix de Maisons-Laffitte) with 25 days’ racing each year and attendances of around 8,000 for weekend meetings yet the training centre alongside it is just as important for the French racing industry The training centre and racecourse of Maisons-Laffitte are owned by France Galop and both are run by director Franck le Mestre “The park here in Maisons-Laffitte is a unique site and visitors are often surprised to see road signs warning them that horses have priority when they are just a few kilometres outside of Paris,” he said The training centre features 130 hectares of grass There are 52 trainers and permit holders in activity and although the focus tends to be more on jumping including Carlos Lerner and Didier Prod’homme Maisons-Laffitte is officially known as the Cité du Cheval (City of the Horse) and Veronique Bertran de Balanda is deputy mayor in charge of equestrian activities Le Mestre added: “The town is very much dedicated to the horse industry and we do a lot to encourage and help foreign trainers set up yards here “We have many international runners at our meetings and trainers such as Willie Mullins and Paul Nicholls also choose to base their horses here when they come to race in France to benefit from our facilities.” Maisons-Laffitte is one of the few courses in the world that stages both left- and right-handed races It also features a 2,000-metre straight track making it the longest in Europe alongside Newmarket Olivier Peslier may find the straight track fairly straightforward but he admitted that the round course is a different matter “The round course can be trickier to ride as it is important not to stay close to the rail on the bends or you risk your horse slipping up,” he said Owners and trainers can benefit from the dedicated lounge on site as well as the panoramic restaurant although many prefer to cross the road and have lunch on the terrace of the well-known Pur Sang restaurant and bar The racecourse is very popular with families who turn out in droves for racedays such as the Fête du Cheval (Festival of the Horse) and Déjeuner sur l’Herbe (Picnic on the Lawn) which feature attractions such as pony rides and live music The racecourse is located in a wooded and tranquil parkland set over almost 420 hectares just 12 kilometres north-west of Paris It is home to around 1,500 horses and ponies which sits on 92 hectares on the edge of the Seine although the relationship between the town and horses goes much further back than that who was a brother of Louis XVI and passionate about horses purchased the Chateau de Maisons in 1777 and restored the stables before importing Thoroughbreds from England He then began racing those horses in the fields on the banks of the Seine Jacques Laffitte organised racing at what was then known as Maisons sur Seine with the hope of creating a training centre similar to Newmarket who was at the head of the creation of the pari-mutuel system purchased the fields on the banks of the river and the racecourse and its grandstand was officially opened on June 6 The original picturesque Anglo-Normand style buildings were replaced in 1970 when the racecourse was completely renovated with the aim of making it larger and the most modern at the time Its grandstand and interiors are clearly identifiable by its ‘70s-style architecture which are seldom seen on French racecourses Both the racecourse and the training centre were threatened with closure less than 18 months ago under a cost-cutting plan being considered at France Galop with the possibility of turning Maisons-Laffitte into a jumps track also on the table Both proposals came to nothing after a storm of protest at the end of 2013 Franck le Mestre said: “Maisons-Laffitte is a very popular racecourse with racing professionals a point that was proven when they joined together to protest the threat of closure or turning it into a jumps track The track is safe now and our main ambition is to have a Group 1 race at Maisons-Laffitte again.” Even if that aim isn’t achieved anytime soon and there is no G1 at Maisons-Laffitte in the foreseeable future it’s a fair bet there will be plenty of G1 horses in action there before long One or more could certainly emerge on Thursday Home » Archive » Top News Europe » Dark Angel's Charyn Prevails In The G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte Nurlan Bizakov's 250,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 yearling Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}–Futoon {Ire} by Kodiac {GB}) ran third to Roger Varian-trained stablemate Sakheer (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in last month's G2 Mill Reef S and continued his progression with a career high in Saturday's G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly 7 debut triumph at Haydock with a narrow defeat at Newmarket in his penultimate start later that month The eventual winner was sent forward from an early fifth to track the leaders in third after the opening exchanges Bustled along passing the quarter-mile marker the 27-10 second choice tackled 3-5 favourite Eddie's Boy (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) entering the final furlong and kept on strongly under continued urging in the latter stages to deny that rival by a short neck after a ding-dong tussle “Roger Varian was quite confident the horse would run a great race and he felt the softer ground would help,” commented the winning owner's representative Mathieu Le Forestier “The ground was fast [at Newbury] last time he was away slowly and didn't get back into the race early enough but Mickael [Barzalona] did well to put him under pressure straight away and he travelled well but the second sure is a tough nut to crack it looks like he will stay further and we will look forward to next year.” victor Wings Of War (Ire) and a weanling filly becomes the 54th pattern-race winner for his sire (by Acclamation {GB}) and is the second foal out of the multiple stakes-placed Futoon (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) herself the leading performer out of a full-sister to G2 Mill Reef S His second dam Vermilliann (Ire) (Mujadil) is also a half-sister to Listed River Eden Fillies' S and Listed Prix Hampton victor Justineo (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) Charyn's third dam Refined (Ire) (Statoblest {Ire}) who hails from family of multiple Group-winning G1 Champion S runner-up Insatiable (Ire) (Don't Forget Me {Ire}) scorer Pipe Major (Ire) (Tirol {Ire}) and is also the second dam of the G3 Sirenia S.-winning siblings Brown Sugar (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) and Burnt Sugar (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 8, 2022 Copy Article Link The return of racing to Maisons-Laffitte moved another significant step closer on Wednesday when the course and its buildings were officially bought by the local authority in a deal worth €7.15 million France Galop staged its final meeting at the track in the western suburbs of Paris in November 2019 as part of cost-cutting measures redistributing its 22 days of racing between Chantilly which were previously signature races at Maisons-Laffitte While the governing body invested in a significant upgrade to the adjacent training centre stopping racing at Maisons-Laffitte was put forward as a key element in eliminating France Galop's budget deficit the mayor of Maisons-Laffitte Jacques Myard formed a local public-private consortium with the aim of buying the racecourse and eventually bidding to get France Galop fixtures Similar arrangements exist with the tracks at Fontainebleau and Compiegne In agreeing in principle to the sale last December officials provided a detailed technical dossier of the requirements the new owners need to meet in order for them to be awarded meetings in the future Maisons-Laffitte boasts the longest straight in Europe but the round course has proved more problematic in latter years with problems of slipping leading to the loss of the right-handed bend in 2018 the River Seine burst its banks in June 2016 and again in January 2018 on both occasions flooding the entire track Bauyrzhan Murzabayev: the 'world-class' Kazakh jockey recruited by Andre Fabre  Halfway Line shows Classic potential at Saint-Cloud for Graffard and Juddmonte  Do you want £200+ of free bets? Racing Post have got the best offers, all in one place. Visit racingpost.com/freebets to find out more Published on 30 March 2023inFrance Copyright © 2025 Spotlight Sports Group Limited or its licensors To say that France's Head family has had an enormous impact on Thoroughbred racing worldwide would be understating the matter Multiple generations of the family –  beginning with William Head and then to Alec and wife Ghislaine's son Frederic (Freddy) and daughter Christiane (Criquette) – have put their stamp on some of the sport's biggest races around the globe as jockeys owners and breeders.  The next generation is following in their footsteps as a trainer it was announced that Alec Head has died at the age of 97 Born near the Maisons-Laffitte racecourse on July 31 Alec Head was the son of William "Willie" Head a successful  jockey who would go on to train two winners of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe His mother was the daughter of Tom Jennings a leading horseman in England who trained  Gladiateur a horse memorialized in bronze at the front gate of Longchamp was a British steeplechase jockey who moved to France in the 1870s and set up the family's horse business in Maisons-Laffitte Willie Head moved the operation to Chantilly where their Haras du Quesnay remains to this day Alec Head also got his start as a jockey at age 16 in the early 1940s but a bad fall and struggles with weight ended that career in 1947 getting his first big break in 1952 when he saddled Aga Khan III's Nuccio for a victory in the Arc He would also train for the Aga's son Before he handed the stable over to daughter Criquette Alec Head would be six-time champion trainer in France he won the Epsom Derby in 1956 with Lavandin Nuccio was the first of Alec Head's four victories in Europe's most important race the other Arc winners coming in 1959 with Saint Crespin Freddy Head would win the Arc four times – including Willie Head's second training victory in 1966 with Bon Mot and Criquette Head's Three Troikas in 1979 Criquette Head would win the Arc three times with Treve's back-to-back wins in 2013-'14 joining Three Troikas on her list of accomplishments.  Freddy Head trained Goldikova to three consecutive triumphs in the Breeders' Cup Mile Treve is among the many stakes winners bred in the name of the Head family's Haras du Quesnay In a 1982 interview with the Thoroughbred Record Alec Head described his basic philosophy on Thoroughbred breeding as follows: "I try and see that the bloodlines hit and I try to work it in with the shape and size of the mare and the stallion," he said "I am quite fortunate that most of the broodmares I have bred I also trained so I know much more about the individual mare than if I had acquired her after her racing days." International at Laurel beginning in the 1950s though he lamented he never had much luck in the U.S He would later partner with Roland de Chambure to launch a breeding operation in Kentucky Horses he bred alone or in partnership in Europe and the U.S Also considered to have a keen eye for yearlings Alec Head selected Lyphard and Riverman at public auction both horses going on to outstanding racing and stud careers Left to right, French horsemen Alec Head, Maurice Zilber, Francois Boutin at the Keeneland Sales, November 1976. Euduring relationships are part of the Head legacy, with the Wertheimers of Chanel fame entrusting their Thoroughbreds to three generations. Alec Head received numerous honors internationally, including the Award of Merit from the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Award in England. In 1989, Alec Head was the Honor Guest of the Thoroughbred Club of America in Lexington, Ky. – the first European to be so honored. Among the testimonials at the Thoroughbred Club of America dinner was one from international bloodstock agent George Blackwell, who said: "I have always thought of Alec Head as the most complete horseman of this era. Not only is he a great trainer, but he also is an excellent judge of yearlings – and the two do not necessarily go together." The Marquess of Hartington, then a senior Steward of the Jockey Club of England, said: "For nearly half a century, the name of Alec Head has been synonymous with all that is best in racing." Lord Carnarvon, who was racing manager to Queen Elizabeth II, called Alec Head "a brilliant trainer and bloodstock breeder," and said that he "had done an immense amount of work for the benefit of racing and breeding, not only for his own country, but for the rest of the world." At that same 1989 testimonial dinner, the Wertheimer family sent a testimonial not only lauding Alec Head's horsemanship but his friendship. "To his professional qualities," it read, "Alec has always added qualities of humanity, trust, and fidelity. Alec is a man with a heart." "I have a French passport and an international outlook," Alec Head remarked at the Thoroughbred Club of America dinner. "But, of course, it is French racing and breeding that is closest to my experience. However, we must realize that in this international world of racing, what is good for one country is ultimately beneficial to many countries." Alec Head is survived by his wife, Ghislaine, and four children: Freddy, Criquette, Patricia and Martine. By Ray PaulickVeteran horse racing journalist Ray Paulick launched the Paulick Report in 2008 after spending more than a quarter century covering the sport for daily and weekly publications Mohaymen has found a niche with pasture breeding methods and the debates surrounding trainer Bob Baffert Racehorses have been trained in Chantilly since anyone can remember It would be fair to say that the horses are part of the fabric of the town perhaps just as much so as the bobbin lace which Chantilly was famous for in the 17th century Trainer Centre and Racecourse Director and Marin Le Cour Grandmaison have the responsibility of managing the racecourse and training grounds Surrounded by forest and located some 30 kilometres from Paris Chantilly is the iconic home of French racing and training Managing the hectares of training grounds and the racecourse is no easy task but the responsibility lies in the hands of Marin Le Cour Grandmaison and his boss Matthieu Vincent They see themselves as ambassadors for racing in Chantilly evangelical about what the town has to offer and keen to expand the centre’s reach to up-and-coming young trainers it becomes clear that their primary focus is to give the trainers the tools they need to train horses better who according to Vincent was not only his favourite horse but quite a quirky customer to train “The horse was difficult and John (Hammond) did a great job with him We would have him working at the racecourse at 5am One day Cash Asmussen came to the racecourse to ride but John didn’t want him to gallop He wanted him trotting for 500 hundred metres So John stopped him and we ended up opening the racecourse to repeat the exercise five or six times and eventually he relaxed We would do that for any trainer and it wouldn’t make any difference to us if they wanted to do something special at 5pm in the evening Chantilly is home to 110 trainers and approximately 2500 horses “In 2010 we had 2400 flat horses and 600 jumpers here and the average trainer was maybe 60 years of age,” says Vincent Newmarket is more of a dream for some owners because they have a lot of classic younger trainers -- that’s good It used to be every trainer’s dream to train here look at Jean Claude Roget: in 2005 he started to have classic horses but he’s not from Chantilly ‘Maybe you can be a good trainer anywhere in France.’” Chantilly Racecourse used to open for 12 days a year but with the advent of all-weather racing in 2012 that number has jumped to 45 “But we have less and less horses in training in Chantilly since 2012 Twenty years ago it was so quiet here and horses were just walking and trotting but now with the all-weather tracks we’re training every day.” The all-weather track has proven to be a good investment for the local economy which put in €1,500,000 of the €5,000,000 cost The annual tax income runs into a healthy seven figure sum the town is home to 2000 workers whose income comes from the racing industry with a staggering 50% of the workforce being stable staff or riders Who knows what the shrinkage would have been like if the all-weather hadn’t happened Turnover driver: the daily Tierce race is currently responsible for 25 percent of PMU turnover although recent developments may adversely affect its effectiveness won by the Cristian Demuro-ridden Saint Amanza Photo: John GilmoreWith revenue on the decline the €130 million Longchamp modernisaton programme to be paid for and worries over the future of Maisons-Laffitte racecourse and training centre this is an unsettled time for French racing as it gets ready for its most important weekend of the year But there’s still plenty to be optimistic about as John Gilmore found out when he spoke to one of the most influential figures in the industry French racing’s finances have been suffering as pari-mutuel turnover from its combined racing sport and poker wagering has fallen by nearly €1 billion over the past three years The PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain) finances both France Galop for flat and jump racing and Le Trot for trotting (harness racing) on a 50-50 basis from its annual profit *Bets placed internationally rose 11 percent to €808m PMU contribution to racing and trotting (50-50 split) *Strong performance mainly due to Euro 2016 football championships A major competitor to the home betting market is La Francaise des Jeux which since 2009 has increased its annual turnover from €9.997bn to €13.7bn in 2015 the PMU has a monopoly for terrestrial betting on racing but online betting is open for competition for French racing For online fixed-odds sports betting on football the PMU is up against 10 other licensed competitors for the French market The French Competition Authority upheld an unfair competition complaint by rival internet operator Betclic that the PMU by pooling internet and terrestrial betting on racing into one pot was creating a much higher winning dividend As a result PMU horserace betting via the internet and physical outlets is now separated into two different pools The impact could see lower dividends for the daily Tierce handicap race (pick the first three four or five and you can win vast prizes for a bet of a couple of euros) which at the moment is responsible for around a quarter of PMU turnover              Despite difficult economic conditions during a period that has seen French unemployment increase by over 600,000 to 3.6m since 2012 (10.3 percent of the working population) the PMU has continued to develop and invest in its digital and network outlets A quarter of its 12,800 off-course points of sale have been renewed and a touch-screen service has been introduced to provide racing information for fans on smart phone applications The on-track experience has also been modernised with betting machines put in place and a service adapted to all types of punters Economies of scale and more efficient use of resources are making savings of around €10m a year The PMU views international expansion as the way forward buying a leading Belgium-based off-course betting operator and in the past year taking a controlling interest in the German Tote it has become an important pari-mutuel operator in Brazil The strategy has been to help other countries develop and increase PMU turnover and interest in the French product Both Belgian and German racing have been facing financial difficulties themselves and French racing has helped get them both back on their feet Several meetings in both countries have been covered via the PMU-owned Equidia TV channel both in France and from Belgian and German the countries in question receiving a percentage Countries now offering various betting arrangements linked to the common French PMU pools now stand at 16 worldwide - 13 in Europe and three outside Three others have both common and their own separate pools and 28 others run their own separate pools Further income is received through selling live images and data of French racing to 29 countries (the PMU also pays some other countries for the same service for major international races) With Edouard Rothschild (president) and Olivier Delloye (managing director) taking over at the helm of France Galop from Bertrand Bélinguier and Thierry Delègue respectively hopes are high this may be the ‘Dream Team’ for a more innovative and imaginative approach for French racing The reputation and international success of the French pari-mutuel model may reap further dividends long term through possibly working with the Chinese to set up a pari-mutuel system there but it is in the process of developing its racing and is keen to stamp out illegal betting through a controlled system The French PMU have already opened an office in Shanghai along with France Galop and Cheval Francais The potential betting market is estimated at around €50bn a year Mayor of Maisons Laffitte for the past 27 years and Member of Parliament for the Yveline region since 1993 is jointly in charge of a government-level study (Committee of Evaluation and Control - the CEC) concerning the gaming policy in France which includes horserace betting and is to be completed by the end of the year “I welcome the election of Edouard Rothschild as head of France Galop,” said Myard and I have established trustful relations with him in order to bring about a genuine partnership to conduct joint local and national actions He will be heard very soon by the horse group of the National Assembly We need to work together to preserve the sector.” Myard said the state of affairs in French racing was “serious but not hopeless” “There are solutions which will be found,” he said “The tax question will be closely examined by the CEC especially regarding La Francaise des Jeux and the royalties of its networks There is also the issue of VAT discrepancies for individuals buying racehorses which is a European problem [France 20 percent England 17.5 percent and Ireland 9 percent] “Indeed it is very hard to get a swift change on this matter I have asked the commissioner in charge of taxation and he is not against re-assessing the low VAT rates This falling revenue comes at a particularly bad time with France Galop having to dig deep into its reserves to find the €130m needed to refurbish and modernise the planned more compact Longchamp racecourse Work started last October after the Arc meeting and the track was scheduled to re-open in time for the Arc in October 2017 with work not due to finish before September 2017 France Galop officials thought it more prudent to try the track out on smaller meeting in 2018 first This weekend’s Arc meeting is being held at Chantilly A decision will be taken after assessing this year’s event whether Chantilly will hold it again next year The objective at Longchamp is to create a similar experience to Happy Valley in Hong Kong and make more use of the facilities for other entertainment activities Longchamp is only full once a year - for the Arc - and Paris offers a lot of other attractions “The question is at the heart of the CEC work but we will have to find solutions,” said Myard French racing’s governing body has introduced a new marketing strategy for the Parisian tracks in the past couple of years by increasing entry prices for top meetings and family days out with activities for children and introducing a more professional approach for taking care of owners on and off the racecourse It is also cutting overheads by sharing the 17 annual jump meetings at Enghien racecourse between Compiegne and Dieppe Enghien will continue to hold trotting racing And there is another measure being introduced to increase betting revenue 15 selected ‘B’ and ‘D’ 2-year-old races are being replaced with races that command more runners “A lot of these ‘B’ and ‘D’ races have five or six runners which is not attractive for people to bet on,” said Olivier Delloye we will think of introducing something similar for 3-year-old races.” were put forward at a meeting at Auteuil on September 20 that included senior officials from France Galop the threat to close a Paris racecourse to save money - Maisons-Laffitte and Saint-Cloud were on the short list - appears to have abated As Myard said: “Closing down a racecourse is neither a solution nor will it lead to genuine savings it’s a one-shot rifle as structural reforms are required Moreover the sale of a racecourse and therefore its closure will only weaken the overall sector and those who advocate this are just scribbling around “There are nonetheless savings to be made by streamlining support and logistics activities The worst solution would be to confuse speed with haste.” But it remains to be seen whether closing a racecourse and perhaps a reduction in France’s healthy prize-money levels may return to the agenda if measures introduced in the next couple of years do not stem the tide of falling horserace betting revenue Maisons-Laffitte is not out of the woods by any means France Galop has indicated that a third of its training area may have to close in order to cut overheads which if given the go-ahead would mean some of the 50-plus France Galop employees there losing their jobs Trainers in Maisons-Laffitte are worried that the situation could discourage owners from having horses trained there in the future Maisons-Laffitte was a leading training centre before the Second World War with 1,500 plus horses in training The number is now around 700 (even though there is still capacity for 1,200) Training land was sold off for residential property in the 1950s and 60s and Chantilly has taken over the mantle of the main centre with 2,400 horses in training and 101 trainers But some efforts have been made to improve the situation for Maisons-Laffitte “Investments were made and the town signed an agreement for €7.62m to be spent on renovating a number of training installations on July 5 “The agreement was signed with the Paris region a lot of trainers wish to set themselves up in Maisons-Laffitte but do not always find stalls available due to the rigid agricultural leases regulation and I have contacted the Minister of Agriculture to lessen the rigidity." racing and the best interests of his local course at Maisons-Laffitte has always been dear to his heart “When you become Mayor of Maisons-Laffitte it would be a crime to refuse to understand the importance of this racecourse for the town and also the country," he said “My commitment to the horseracing sector reflects my understanding of this industry’s added value for the French economy I feel as if I were at the service of the horseracing sector There is absolutely no question and no chance on Earth that the Maisons-Laffitte racecourse will close!” Unfortunately it may not be as simple as that If the number of trainers in Maisons-Laffitte continues to decline it will put renewed pressure on the course and training centre surviving Maisons-Laffitte provides an idyllic setting for a daily cycle to and from school At rush hour there are as many jockeys on racehorses as children on bikes As one of almost 40 professional trainers operating in this cité du cheval She lives with her 11-year-old daughter Sapphire in a flat above the stables that house her horses are the photographs of a daughter who is not there and the documents that point to a legal battle that Haigh has been fighting for 12 years Christmas enchantment invades these châteaux in Ile-de-France Here are the most beautiful châteaux to spend Christmas in original shows… Princes and princesses for a night in the heart of the most beautiful châteaux in the IDF the Château de Versailles invites you to plunge into a baroque atmosphere treat yourself to an extraordinary Christmas tour-show fencers and pyrotechnicians prepare to welcome the public under the gold of the Grands Appartements From the Salon d’Hercule to the Galerie des Glaces and the King’s bedroom Definitely one of the best Christmas getaways 77 950 Maincy 📆Dates: Saturday November 16 the Château de Chantilly offers an exceptional Christmas event a Christmas table has been specially created for the occasion a Christmas minimarket and a whipped cream workshop are also on the program… An enchanting festive season awaits you at Château de Chantilly The Château de Maisons in Maisons-Laffitte offers Christmas activities for the whole family On the program: an immersive dance show on the theme of Beauty and the Beast as well as beautiful Christmas illuminations 📍Location: 2 Avenue Carnot 78600 Maisons-Laffitte 📆Dates: November 9 to December 15 Bloodstock agents Toby Jones and Alex Elliott fought it out for the top two lots during a buoyant renewal of the Osarus National Hunt Sale at Maisons-Laffitte on Thursday Jones emerged on top for the €300,000 sale-topper Ganzo D'Airy a three-year-old son of Legolas who was second in an AQPS maiden at Nancy on his debut He could stick to bumpers or go straight over hurdles He's already been schooled and goes very well over obstacles He's a horse with a lot of speed and I think he wouldn't be too bad in juvenile hurdles." Jones sourced Anibale Fly for €16,000 at the 2013 Arqana Summer Sale and the son of Assessor subsequently placed twice in the Cheltenham Gold Cup Elliott was not to be outgunned on the next most expensive lot the €280,000 Blue Bresil gelding Indiana Jones who he signed for together with former French trainer-turned-bloodstock agent Nicolas Bertran de Balanda The three-year-old gelding entered plenty of notebooks with an eyecatching performance when second to the promising Onestepforward in an Auteuil hurdle over two miles two furlongs in late September "I work quite closely with Nicolas in France and he mentioned the horse to me a few weeks ago," said Elliott he was about 17 hands high and had absolutely no right to do what he did in an Auteuil juvenile hurdle - there would be no way he would run in a juvenile hurdle in Britain or Ireland by the right stallion and showed a huge engine on his only start He probably won't run again this season as he's not a juvenile and I imagine he'll come back as a four-year-old novice hurdler next year He'll be trained in Ireland and you'd see him as a potential three-mile chaser." Of 138 lots offered at the Osarus National Hunt Sale at an average spend of €26,600 and median price of €16,000 Three big bloodstock stories that could unfold at this year's Breeders' Cup Star sprinter Ten Sovereigns retired to join the stallion roster at Coolmore Figures hold steady as Autumn Horses in Training Sale draws to a close Published on 31 October 2019inNews 2.20 Maisons-LaffitteLa Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte | Group 3 | 3yo+ | 1m2f | ATR Robin Of Navan has spent far more time racing in France than anywhere else and the trend continues on Monday as he takes on six rivals at Maisons-Laffitte Trainer Harry Dunlop is expecting an improved display from five-year-old Robin Of Navan and said on Sunday: "It was a good run at Deauville previously and he'll progress from it "The ground should be on the faster side and he has his optimum conditions here but Robin Of Navan is in good form and I'm expecting a nice performance in what should be a strongly run race." Dunlop's hope is not the only overseas raider as German-trained Oriental Eagle takes his chance and the Czech Republic is represented by Subway Dancer The Andre Fabre-trained Orbaan heads the list of challengers and takes a marked step down in class after finishing last of eight in an ambitious tilt at the Sussex Stakes last month Strong British contingent for juvenile race Robin Of Navan is not the only British interest at Maisons-Laffitte on Monday, with three juveniles among the ten runners set to go to post for the Group 3 Prix Eclipse (1.20) Archie Watson has enjoyed success with his French raids this campaign with big-race wins for Soldier's Call and Corinthia Knight bolstering an already impressive CV for the young trainer Richard Fahey's hopes rest with Space Traveller and Simon Crisford unleashes Sporting Chance Sporting Chance has just that according to his trainer who said: "He won nicely at Ripon so we were looking to step him up in grade and the options were the Sirenia at Sandown or this French race and we thought this would suit him better The Deacy Gilligan Irish EBF Mares Hurdle (5.15) at Galway has been monopolised by Willie Mullins of late winning it with Airlie Beach (2016) and Contingecy (2017) and he is triple-handed in his bid to complete the hat-trick with Pleasure Dome who is operating with an impressive 32 per cent strike-rate in the last fortnight with seven winners from just 22 rides who has won at Ballinrobe and Sligo on her last two starts Calie Du Mesnil is unbeaten since arriving in Ireland and David Mullins who was on board for her wins at Tipperary and Galway Mullins said: "Pleasure Dome is improving fast and the conditions of the race really suit her "Calie Du Mesnil is a course winner who should relish the extra distance here "Chambord Du Lys hasn't run for a while so it's nice to get her back out on some nice ground." Thrones Game, who was last seen running in a Group 2 at Deauville in August on his final start for Alain De Royer-Dupre, makes his jumping debut in the opening Galway 2020 Maiden Hurdle (4.15) in which Suinada also represents the champion trainer Sympa Des Flos, a wide-margin maiden hurdle winner at Limerick, tries fences for the first time in the Win Big With The Tote Beginners Chase (6.15) and should take some stopping Read The Briefing from 8.30am daily on racingpost.com with all the day's latest going Published on 16 September 2018inPreviews Powered by Bury Free Press, Suffolk Free Press, Newmarket Journal & Haverhill Echo Powered by Bury Free Press, Suffolk Free Press, Newmarket Journal and Haverhill Echo Home   Newmarket   News   Article Plans are well under way for celebrations to mark the 70th anniversary of Newmarket’s twinning links with the French towns of Maisons-Laffitte and Le Mesnil-le- Roi It is the country’s longest continuous association of its kind and Newmarket will be hosting a three-day visit by representatives from the two towns Newmarket Town Council will be hosting a visit from representatives of the two towns starting on May 17 with a reception at the memorial hall where refreshments will include fish and chips There will also be a film about the Newmarket area and its racing and breeding industry The following day there will be a tour of the Jockey Club and an afternoon at the races followed on May 19 by a visit to Cambridge The three-day visit will end with a further reception at the Heath Court Hotel Councillors have also agreed to set aside £2,000 towards sponsorship of a visit by 44 students from Newmarket Academy to Maisons-Laffitte in September who had been to France where she met the mayors of both twinned towns told councillors how much the students were looking forward to the trip and can’t wait to go on the trip,” she said Newmarket’s twinning links were forged back in 1954 and initiated by Barry Lynham then a British resident in Maisons-Laffitte Two years later the Association Les Amis de Newmarket was set up in France to promote the twinning Mr Lynham was president of the Friends of Newmarket from its inception until 1979 when he stepped down and became its honorary president