By Tom Frary
Racing at Saint-Cloud on Sunday, which was set to feature the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud, G1 Criterium International and G3 Prix Perth, has been abandoned following a protest led by a “Save Racing” group, which also involved trainers, owners and breeders and their representatives. Having blocked the entrance to the parade ring at Saint-Cloud, the members of the demonstration were unable to be placated by France Galop officials and the decision was made to stop racing after the first race. The remaining seven races on the card will not be run this year.
The group “Save Racing” is protesting over France Galop's planned €25-million budgetary cuts which include a reduction in payments made to cover transport and the rise in VAT, as well as owners' and breeders' premiums. France Galop officials had met with representatives of “Save Racing” prior to racing on Sunday to discuss the budget reduction, with France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild and France Galop General Manager Olivier Delloye in attendance. Although the mood proved constructive in the hour-long meeting, ultimately a solution was not reached. The France Galop Executive Board will meet on Monday, Oct. 30, with the 2018 budget on the agenda, as planned.
Georges Rimaud, who is on the board of directors at France-Galop, told At The Races, “I don't think the blockage as such was pre-planned, but it was planned to have a meeting with the leaders of the organisations involved. They have met with them and discussed with them. The blocking was due to reforms, and the finances, being announced by France-Galop. It is difficult to get everybody to agree to any reform of such size. Hopefully they will find something.”
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