France Galop

Racing will be cancelled in France at Fontainebleau and Croise-Laroche on Thursday, November 7, France Galop announced on Tuesday. The cancellation resulted after an emergency meeting of the France Galop board of directors at the request of president Guillaume de Saint-Seine. The Monday meeting analysed the consequences of a potential strike and mobilisation of the associations and socio-professional unions of the Galop and Trot  against the French government's plan to tax horse racing betting, included in the Social Security Finance Bill, currently being discussed by Parliament. France Galop released the...

Now in its second year, the Polytrack Challenge, sponsored by Martin Collins, will continue during the French all-weather season, but with a couple of rule modifications, France Galop announced on Tuesday. The two race categories remain unchanged, the sprint/mile division and the intermediate/Classic division will each offer the €40,000 to the winners at the end of the season, with the finals at Cagnes-sur-Mer. The points scale will be as follows for the Prix Irish River (Nov. 3), Prix Luthier (Dec. 4), Prix Lyphard (Nov. 26) and Prix Arcangues (Dec. 19):...

In a new partnership between the Aga Khan Studs and France Galop, it was announced on Thursday that the racing and breeding operation of His Highness the Aga Khan has committed to an across-the-card sponsorship of Prix Jacques le Marois day at Deauville from 2025. For nearly 40 years the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois, which boasts prize-money of €1 million, was sponsored by the Niarchos family whose long association with the race included nine victories in their familiar silks. The legendary Miesque was the first when winning back-to-back editions...

I read with interest the TDN article about Jorge Duarte, which is the latest in a pattern of stories about trainers (George Weaver, Rusty Arnold, etc.) with positive tests that have seemingly come from contamination. Glen Hill Farm has been racing and breeding horses since 1967. We are an American-based operation but have been building in Europe and Australia for the last decade. Having served on many industry boards, I always understood the goal for medication reform was for American racing to first have uniformity between states and then hopefully...

French trainer Fabrice Vermeulen has been suspended three months by France Galop, the Jour de Galop reported on Tuesday. He is allowed four days to appeal the suspension. The ruling was made by France Galop following an inspection of Vermeulen's yard on Mar. 11, 2024, where the F.N.C.H. veterinarian noted the existence of a prescription for intra-articular infiltration of a biological substance (hyaluronic acid) that was filled on Jan. 21, 2024 for Indyco (Fr) (Rio De La Plata). That horse ran at Cagnes on Jan. 29, 2024. However, that substance...

International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' advisor Dr. Roland Devolz has died at the age of 83, France Galop announced on Wednesday. A veterinarian, he joined the Societe d'Encouragement pour l'Amelioration des Races de Chevaux de Courses in the early 1970s when recruited by Jean Romanet. Besides working for the Societe d'Encouragement, he was invaluable in the implementation of a modernized anti-doping control through the creation of the horse racing laboratory, based on the approach initiated by Dr. Yves Bonnaire. Also one of the greatest experts of the Stud Book, Devolz...

1/ST and France Galop have partnered with the aim of increasing international participation, the two companies announced on Wednesday. The new partnership will begin with the $100,000 GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico Race Course on May 18, Preakness Day. Whichever horse wins the Gallorette, will automatically qualify to run in the €250,000 G1 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet S. at Deauville on Aug. 18. A travel stipend will also be provided. 1/ST has previously partnered with Ascot Racecourse on Gulfstream Park's Royal Palm Series which targets Royal Ascot's juvenile races, as...

A new incentive programme for the G2 Prix du Gros-Chene was launched by France Galop this spring. In danger of being downgraded from Group 2 to Group 3 status next year, the race now has a quintet of lead-up sprint-race qualifiers where the winner will be automatically entered in the June 2 1000-metre sprint and the €1,200 entry fee will be waived. Two of the five qualifying races have already taken place, the Prix Cor de Chasse at Deauville on Apr. 9, won by Vicious Harry (Fr) (Harry Angel {Ire}),...

Al Shira'aa Racing have been announced as the new sponsors of the G3 Prix Vanteaux in a two-year partnership with France Galop. The 2024 edition of the Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux, run over nine furlongs for three-year-old fillies, will be held at Longchamp's opening fixture of the season on Sunday, April 7. Kieran Lalor, Al Shira'aa Racing's bloodstock and racing manager, said, "We are delighted to come on board as sponsor of the Group 3 Prix Vanteaux. It is a very important prep race for the Classics and one...

A new Owners' Plan with the aim of increasing the number of horses in training in the country, a key priority for the organisation's president, Guillaume de Saint-Seine, was announced by France Galop on Wednesday. Although the number of active owners in France has increased by 600 in the last three years, the number of horses in training, and therefore the number of runners, has gone down. France Galop report that this situation is due to the fact that a number of new owners opt for shared ownership. Though some...

After seven years at the helm of France-Galop, the governing body of horse racing in France, Olivier Delloye arrived back at Arqana, and will take up the position of CEO upon the retirement of Eric Hoyeau on April 1. For Delloye, it's a homecoming, as he served for 10 years as their managing director before leaving to fill the same role at France-Galop in 2016. As Delloye got started again at Arqana, we sat down with him to learn what it was like to be back in Normandy, and what...

In response to the article of Patrick Cooper in the TDN, I would like to share the situation in France with your readers. As usual, Mr. Cooper is highly entertaining and at the same time deadly serious. The universal problem in racing and elsewhere is lack of staff. Each country has their own specific problems. France, where I reside, is even more hamstrung than other countries. We have probably the best funded apprentice school in the world. (The only jurisdiction I can not find any information from is Japan.) France...