France Galop

A savings plan created by France Galop's Task Force and approved by the board of directors, is expected to save the organisation approximately €29.8 million, according to Jour de Galop. France Galop's president Guillaume de Saint-Seine gave members of the committee the first look at the plan on Thursday morning after its approval on Tuesday. The savings is largely borne by France Galop itself, and, unlike the 2025 plan, it does not rely on reductions in prize-money or incentives. No closures of France Galop sites are being considered at this...

Golden boy of the week has to be Starspangledbanner (though Wayne Lordan and Karl Burke both deserve consideration for that title). To have had both Cartier champion two-year-olds last year was a big enough feather in his cap but for both Gstaad and Precise to progress into Classic winners in the space of 24 hours at the Curragh cements their sire's position among the elite. A more in-depth look at the Starspangledbanner story to date in TDN back in December put forward the suggestion that the best days were still...

To the casual observer at Longchamp on Thursday evening there would not have appeared to be too much wrong with French racing. A lively, sell-out crowd of 10,000 was on course for two reasons: top-class horse racing and an after-party which shimmered through to the small hours while the Eiffel Tower sparkled in the distance.  The 'JeuXdi' initiative of post-racing DJ sets is not new. For some years now Thursday nights at France's flagship track have been filled with young revellers. The difference this week was that for the first...

In 2026, the draw for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will be unveiled on the evening of Thursday, October 1 when France Galop hosts the official launch ceremony of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe weekend. As with all Flat races in France, starting gates will be drawn electronically on the morning of Thursday, October 1, under the supervision of a Commissioner of Justice. However, the result of the draw will not be released until the evening ceremony as part of a new initiative being introduced by...

France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine has issued a call to arms to the French racing and breeding industry, asking for its backing to "build a new model, simpler, more efficient, more sustainable". The changes are expected to be implemented by January 2027. Delivered in a personal letter to stakeholders under the title 'Change. Now. Together.', Saint-Seine said, "There comes a time when we must speak plainly: we can no longer continue on the trajectory of the last twenty years. Our historical resources are shrinking, calling for the creation of...

The Prix d'Ispahan will be renamed the Prix Aga Khan IV as a tribute to the significant contribution made to racing and breeding by His Highness the Aga Khan IV, who died in February 2025, France Galop announced on Thursday. This particular race has been chosen in homage to the historic link between the Aga Khan dynasty and ancient Persia. The Prix d'Ispahan, first run in 1873, was intended to honour an official visit by the Shah of Persia to Paris, with the race name being a reference to the...

The winner of the G2 Sumbe Prix Kergorlay will now be granted automatic entry into the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup as part of a partnership between France Galop and the Victoria Racing Club (VRC). The Prix Kergorlay, which takes place at Deauville in August, joins the GII Belmont Gold Cup in the United States and the Ebor Handicap in Britain as the only Golden Ticket qualifiers for the Melbourne Cup held outside of Australia. In 2010, the Alain de Royer-Dupré-trained Americain (Dynaformer) became the first horse to complete the Prix...

Louis Romanet, former chairman of the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities, has died. Also a past director of France Galop, he was 78. Romanet's family has a long association with French racing, leading the French racing institution from 1907-2007. First the Société d'Encouragement, responsible for Flat racing, where his great-uncle Maurice, his grandfather René and his father Jean succeeded one another. In 1995, Louis helmed France Galop, which integrated Flat and jumps racing under a single umbrella until he retired from his post in 2007. He joined the Société...

Guillaume Herrnberger, currently managing director of AFASEC, has been appointed to the role of deputy managing director of France Galop, alongside Henri Pouret who has held the same title since February 2024. France Galop will now be managed in tandem by Pouret and Herrnberger, both of whom will report to the president, Guillaume de Saint-Seine, who chaired a meeting of the Board of Directors on Monday. The appointment of Herrnberger and changes to the leadership structure follow the departure of Elie Hennau from his role as managing director last month....

Elie Hennau has left his role as managing director of France Galop with immediate effect, according to reports published in Jour de Galop and Paris-Turf. France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine confirmed the news to staff on Friday afernoon. He said, "Elie Hennau is stepping down from his position as managing director. We would like to thank him for his work and commitment to the industry over the past two years. We wish him every success in his future endeavours."  Hennau, a former amateur rider with a business background in...

So much that is good about the French breeding industry was showcased over the course of two days last week, not least the resilience of its practitioners, an oft-heralded quality when speaking to those at the coalface during the 2026 edition of La Route des Etalons. Like so many other leading racing jurisdictions, France is currently facing headwinds that make the pursuit of breeding racehorses, and/or owning them, a less attractive option than in years gone by. Then, in May last year, France Galop announced a €20.3 million reduction in...

France Galop received a trio of awards including the Grand Prix of Sport Business 2025 for their 'Horses in the City' event at CNOSF on Wednesday evening. The Grand Prix of Sport Business recognises the best initiatives and activations led by public and private stakeholders in support of sport and its ecosystem in France. They also received the Prix Or, for the best event activation in support of sport, and the Prix Argent for Best Marketing by a sports organisation, for its sportainement strategy to reconnect the French public with...