France Galop

Twelve fewer black-type races will be run in Europe in 2024 following the approval of the programme by the European Pattern Committee (EPC) which sounded a note of caution regarding "the reported increasing exports of quality horses overseas". France's Prix Saint-Alary will has been downgraded from Group 1 to Group 2 status and is one of five Group races to have been demoted, while Britain's G3 Sovereign S., traditionally run at Salisbury, will not be staged. In Ireland, the Salsabil S. has been upgraded from a Listed race to a...

Elie Hennau has been appointed director general of France Galop, with Henri Pouret promoted to deputy managing director of the organisation. Pouret, who has been with France Galop for 20 years and was previously the deputy general manager, will remain in charge of racing operations and the management of racecourses and training centres. He will also represent France Galop in international matters.  Hennau, a former amateur rider, has previously been president of the Fegentri organisation for amateurs. With a business background in insurance, he is currently director of the individual...

As part of the formation of the new France Galop Committee, the 25 Presidents of the Premium Racing Organisations met at the France Galop headquarters Nov. 30 to elect a pair of representatives that will sit on the France Galop Committee. On the same day, the 10 Presidents of the Regional Flat Racing Councils were also at the France Galop headquarters to elect six representatives to sit on the France Galop Committee. The newly formed France Galop Committee will be convened for the first time Tuesday, Dec. 12 to elect...

Martin Collins, the manufacturer of Polytrack (PSF) all-weather racing surfaces from the Martin Collins Group, has been named the new sponsor of the "Polytrack Challenge" for a period of three years until 2026, France Galop announced on Thursday. Held on fibresand, the "Polytrack Challenge" was presented by France Galop and the Cote d'Azur Racing Association on Oct. 10. The first even in the contest is scheduled for Deauville Racecourse on Sunday, Nov. 5. The two finals in the Intermediate/Classic category and the Speed/Mile category will beheld on Jan. 27 and...

As is the case every four years, the approximately 9,000 members of the France Galop Association, in charge of horse racing in France, voted from Friday to Tuesday to elect their representatives within the institution. These representatives are categorised as owners, breeders, trainers, and jockeys. In total, 7,926 votes were counted, 15% fewer than in 2019 when electronic voting was first introduced. Among the owners, two lists gained one seat each: Alliance Galop went from two to three elected representatives, while the Association of Trainers-Owners (AEP) now has two representatives,...

Olivier Delloye is set to leave his role as Managing Director of France Galop and return to Arqana as Chairman of the Management Board, where he will succeed Éric Hoyeau, Arqana announced on Friday. He will be supported by Freddy Powell, currently employed as the Executive Director but who will become the Managing Director, and by the members of the Executive Committee, including Ludovic Cornuel (Bloodstock Director), Arthur Serres (Technical Director), Sylvain Gosselin (Financial Director), Agathe Capdepon (Communication & Marketing Director) and the rest of the teams. Éric Hoyeau will...

France Galop President Baron Edouard de Rothschild, who has served the French Thoroughbred industry in that role for 16 years, will not seek another term when his current one ends in December, he told Jour de Galop on Thursday. Baron de Rothschild, who operates Haras de Meautry and has enjoyed particular success this summer with dual Group 1-winning homebred Msqe De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), served as president from 2003-2011 and 2015 to present. "After thinking about it a lot this summer, I have decided not to run for the...

Beginning on Sept. 1, 2023, any horse that is struck more than nine times with the whip will be disqualified prior to wagers being paid out, France Galop announced on Wednesday. This new adjustment is part of the amendments to the racing code that were adopted by the Comité de France Galop in June and subsequently approved by the Minister of Agriculture. Since May 1, 2023, the maximum number of strikes allowed in France has been four.

A new logo for the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 1 was unveiled by France Galop on Thursday. The logo will be used from this year and going forward. More contemporary than its predecessor, the logo depicts the Arc de Triomphe monument in a nod to the heritage and historical influence of this race. It was designed by independent global design agency Seenk. The previous logo was used beginning in 2008 in celebration of the new partnership between the Arc and the Qatar Racing...

A race series for 3-year-old fillies in France will be sponsored by Darley, the organisation and France Galop announced on Tuesday. Since discontinuing its sponsorship of the G1 Prix Morny, Darley has instead branched out into a quartet of fillies' races. The newly sponsored races are: Listed Prix de Thiberville, ParisLongchamp on June 15 G3 Prix Chole, Chantilly on July 16 Listed Prix Joubert, ParisLongchamp on Sept. 7 Listed Prix Coronation, Saint-Cloud on Sept. 22. Valuable race series in Great Britain and Ireland are also newly sponsored by Darley, it...

Entries for the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, worth €5 million this year and set to be contested on Sunday, Oct. 1, close tomorrow, Wednesday May 10, at 10:30 a.m., France Galop announced. For this year's running, the Executive Board of France Galop decided to increase the maximum number of runners from 20 to 24. The change was made after last year when the 20-runner limit led to several being eliminated at the final declaration stage.

Marie Rohaut has been named the new head of the France Galop/French Racing and Breeding Committee (FRBC) Owners' Department. Rohaut, a Godolphin Flying Star graduate, joined France Galop in the beginning of April. The daughter of Pau-based trainer Francois Rohaut, the 29-year-old was a co-creator of "Aux courses les jeunes" (Young people, let's go racing), and she also holds a Master's degree in entrepreneurship and international business. She gained work experience in Japan with the Yoshida family, as well as in Australia, Ireland and the UK. After her Flying Star...