Historic French racecourse set to close
One of France's premier racecourses, Maisons-Laffitte, will no longer hold race meetings from the end of next year under a plan released by France Galop.
Speculation had surrounded the future of the Paris-based Maisons-Laffitte for several years and Wednesday's announcement, whilst met with disappointment from several industry professionals, would not come as a shock.
France Galop, in issuing a statement, said they intend on 'resizing and modernising' the Maisons-Laffitte training centre at a cost of €1.5m to ensure sustainability of the facility. Maisons-Laffitte currently houses 500 horses but has a capacity three times that.
France Galop's statement also highlighted how French racing is struggling to maintain its market share in the competitive wagering market.
The total gambled on French horse racing by locals over the previous eight years has decreased by a staggering €1.9 billion.
Due to the decline in income, France Galop has accumulated a deficit of €119m between 2014 and 2017.
Maisons-Laffitte features three tracks, a left-handed course that holds races from 1400-2400m, a right-handed track (1600-3200m) and a 2000-metre straight track which is the equal-longest in Europe along with Newmarket.
The racecourse has faced a couple of significant issues in recent years. Maisons-Laffitte straddles the River Seine and is prone to flooding, as seen at the start of this year, whilst the surface of the right-handed course can be slippery.
The training centre is popular with jumps trainers as obstacles are exact reproductions of those at Auteuil racecourse, the specialist jumping venue in Paris.
France Galop's proposal has been met with strong opposition from local government who are keen to preserve the facility in its current form.
Should Maisons-Laffitte cease racing activity at the end of 2019 as planned, it would become the first Paris racetrack to close since Evry, a venue which operated between 1973 and 1997.
Flat racing will still continue in Paris at Longchamp, the city's premier venue, and Saint-Cloud.
Credit: Ritesh Jamkhedkar ritesh.jamkhedkar@secretariatsworld.com