Flat Racing in France
Flat races take place all over France with the main racecourses Longchamp , Chantilly, Deauville, Maisons-Laffitte and Saint-Cloud.
5,000 races are organised in France on 150 racecourses with a total number of 10,200 individual runners. The total prize money reaches around 120 million euros, with an additional owner’s premiums of 45 million euros and breeder’s premiums of 20 million euros.
The 2016 flat racing season in France was highlighted by impressive records, as it was the stage for internationally known race horses and trainers. Among the ones was certainly the performance of La Cressonnière (FR), who managed to win two French Classics as well as Almanzor (FR), who dominated the European three-year-old season by winning the Gr 1 Prix du Jockey Club and the Gr 1 Qipco Irish Champion Stakes & Gr 1 Qipco Champion Stakes. The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is always a fantastic and prestigious event which saw the historical triple of Aidan P. O’Brien. Jean-Claude Rouget finished the season as the French leading trainer with around 10 million euros in prize money and premiums while Pierre-Charles Boudot was crowned French Champion jockey, by just breaking the French and European record of victories.
Rating of the best French Flat Group 1 races in 2017:
| Race | Racecourse | Winner in 2017 | Rank | Pattern Race Rating |
| Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe | Chantilly | Enable (GB) | Long distance races: 1 | 126.25 |
| Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp | Chantilly | Ribchester (IRE) | Middle distance races: 11 | 119.25 |
| Prix Ganay | Saint Cloud | Cloth of Stars (IRE) | Int distance races: 17 | 118.75 |
| Haras du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard - Jacques Le Marois | Deauville | Al Wukair (IRE) | Middle distance races: 21 | 117.50 |
| Prix du Jockey Club | Chantilly | Brametot (IRE) | Int distance races: 23 | 117.00 |
| Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp | Chantilly | Battaash (IRE) | Short distance race : 16 | 116.75 |
| Prix de l’Opera LONGINES | Chantilly | Rhododendron (IRE) | Int distance races: 30 | 116.25 |
Source: IFHA
French Flat Group races by racecourse:
| Racecourse | Group 1 races | Group 2 races | Group 3 races |
| Paris Longchamp | Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe | Prix d’Harcourt | Prix La Force |
| Abu Dhabi Poule d’Essai des Pouliches | Prix Vicomtesse Vigier | Prix Vanteaux | |
| Abu Dhabi Poule d’Essai des Poulains | Qatar Prix Niel | Prix de Fontainebleau | |
| Prix Ganay | Qatar Prix Foy | Prix de la Grotte – Etalon Kendargent | |
| Qatar Prix Vermeille | Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein | Prix Noailles | |
| Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp | Qatar Prix Chaudenay | Prix Allez France | |
| Qatar Prix du Cadran | Qatar Prix Dollar | Prix de Barbeville | |
| Prix d’Ispahan | Qatar Prix de Royallieu | Prix Aumale | |
| Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardère – Grand Criterium | Prix Conseil de Paris | Prix du Pin | |
| Total Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches | Prix Maurice de Nieuil | Prix de la Porte Maillot | |
| Prix Opéra Longines | La Coupe Longines | ||
| Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp | Prix des Chenes | ||
| Qatar Prix de la Forêt | Prix Gladiateur | ||
| The Gurkha Prix Saint-Alary | Prix du Prince d’Orange | ||
| Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris | Qatar Prix du Petit Couvert | ||
| Critérium International | Prix d’Hedouville | ||
| Prix Lys | |||
| Prix Palais Royal | |||
| Prix Lutèce | |||
| Prix Bertrand de Tarragon | |||
| Chantilly | Qipco Prix du Jockey Club | Prix Hocquart Longines | Prix de Guiche |
| Prix de Diane Longines | Grand Prix de Chantilly | Prix Sigy | |
| Prix de Sandringham | Prix de Royaumont | ||
| Prix du Gros-Chêne | Prix de Conde | ||
| Prix Chloé | |||
| Prix Arenberg | |||
| Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines | |||
| Prix Paul de Moussac Longines | |||
| Deauville | Darley Prix Jean Romanet | Haras Firmamento Prix de Pomone | Prix des Réservoirs – Etalon Kendargent |
| Darley Prix Morny | Prix Guillaume d’Ornano – Haras du Logis Saint-Germain | Prix du Bois | |
| Prix Jean Prat | Prix La Nonette Shadwell | Prix Djebel | |
| Prix Rothschild | Darley Prix Kergorlay | Prix Psyché | |
| LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest | Lucien Barrière - Grand Prix de Deauville | Prix Cabourg | |
| Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard – Jacques le Marois | Prix du Calvados | Haras de la Pomme (Argentine) Prix de Reux | |
| Prix Minerve | |||
| Prix Lieurey | |||
| Prix Gontaut-Biron – Hong Kong Jockey Club | |||
| Prix du Calvados Shadwell | |||
| Prix Meautry - Barrière | |||
| Prix Quincey – Barrière | |||
| Prix Imprudence | |||
| Maisons-Laffitte | Prix Eugène Adam – Grand Prix de Maisons-Laffitte | Prix Texanita | |
| Prix Robert Papin | Prix Ris-Orangis | ||
| Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte | Prix Messidor | ||
| La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte | |||
| Prix de Seine-et-Oise | |||
| Prix Eclipse | |||
| Prix Miesque | |||
| Saint-Cloud | Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud | Prix Muguet | Prix Exbury |
| Critérium de Saint-Cloud | Prix Greffulhe | Prix Edmond Blanc | |
| Prix Corrida | Prix Pénélope | ||
| Prix Malleret | Prix Cléopâtre | ||
| Prix Flore | |||
| Bordeaux | Prix André Baboin – Grand Prix des Provinces | ||
| Toulouse | Prix Fille de l’Air | ||
| Vichy | Grand Prix de Vichy |
Source: www.thefrenchblacktype.com
For more details on facts & figures, go on Panorama du Galop
French Classic results in 2016:
Best Flat race horses in France in 2016 by prize money (only French based horses):
| Horse | Trainer | Owner | Breeder | Total prize money won |
| Almanzor (FR) | Jean-Claude Rouget | Ecurie A. Caro, S.F. Bloodstock LLC, G. Augustin-Normand, Harad d’Etreham, Riviera Equine S.A.R.L, Maurice Lagasse | Haras d’Etreham | € 1,137,100 |
| La Cressonnière (FR) | Jean-Claude Rouget | G. Augustin-Normand | Franklin Finance S.A. | € 930,130 |
| Vadamos (FR) | André Fabre | SCEA. Haras de Saint-Pair | SCEA Haras de Saint-Pair | € 555,525 |
| Zarak (FR) | Alain de Royer-Dupré | H.H. Aga Khan | H.H. Aga Khan | € 510,325 |
| Left Hand (Assimilated FR) | Carlos Laffon-Parias | Wertheimer & Frère | Wertheimer & Frère | € 482,865 |
| Siljan’s Saga (FR) | Jean-Pierre Gauvin | E. Palluat de Besset / E. Tassin | Suc. A. Ouvry | € 452,925 |
| Silverwave (FR) | Pascal Bary | HSpirit | Mrs ML. Collet, J. Collet, Mrs M. Collet | € 399,815 |
| Mont Ormel (FR) | Pia Brandt | G. Augustin-Normand | Franklin Finance S.A. | € 383,690 |
| Vazirabad (FR) | Alain de Royer-Dupré | H.H. Aga Khan | Haras de H.H. Aga Khan SCEA | € 382,670 |
| Zelzal (FR) | Jean-Claude Rouget | Al Shaqab Racing | V. Timoshenko | € 349,495 |
Source: France Galop
Best Flat trainers in France in 2017 by prize money (only French based trainers):
| Trainer | Runners | Starts | Wins | Places | Prize money |
| André Fabre | 194 | 630 | 145 | 356 | € 7,458,035 |
| Jean Claude Rouget | 176 | 600 | 143 | 342 | € 4,897,672 |
| Henri-Alex Pantall | 209 | 1002 | 127 | 449 | € 3,200,210 |
| Freddy Head | 79 | 304 | 63 | 169 | € 2,411,275 |
| Fabrice Chappet | 90 | 407 | 57 | 177 | € 1,926,925 |
| Pascal Bary | 51 | 158 | 26 | 85 | € 1,898,700 |
| Alain de Royer Dupré | 72 | 242 | 42 | 124 | € 1,867,565 |
| Fabrice Vermeulen | 130 | 688 | 100 | 303 | € 1,695,905 |
| Christophe Ferland | 109 | 373 | 67 | 195 | € 1,629,375 |
| Francis-Henri Graffard | 83 | 312 | 35 | 171 | € 1,561,470 |
Source : France Galop
French Gr 1 winners in 2016:
| Horse | Race | Trainer | Owner | Breeder |
| Almanzor (FR) | Gr 1 Irish & British Champion Stakes | Jean-Claude Rouget | Ecurie A. Caro, S.F. Bloodstock LCC, G. Augustin-Normand, Haras d’Etreham, Riviera Equine S.A.R.L, Maurice Lagasse | Haras d’Etreham |
| Almanzor (FR) | Gr 1 Prix du Jockey Club | Jean-Claude Rouget | Ecurie A. Caro, S.F. Bloodstock LCC, G. Augustin-Normand, Haras d’Etreham, Riviera Equine S.A.R.L, Maurice Lagasse | Haras d’Etreham |
| Dariyan(FR) | Gr 1 Prix Ganay | Alain de Royer-Dupré | H.H. Aga Khan | H.H. Aga Khan |
| Ectot (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational | Todd Pletcher | Al Shaqab Racing, G. Augustin-Normand | Ecurie Skymarc Farm, Ecurie des Monceaux |
| Jemayel (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 Pour Moi Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary | Jean-Claude Rouget | Al Shaqab Racing | S.F. Bloodstock LLC |
| La Cressonnière (FR) | Gr 1 Prix de Diane Longines | Jean-Claude Rouget | G. Augustin-Normand | Franklin Finance S.A. |
| La Cressonnière (FR) | Gr 1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches | Jean-Claude Rouget | G. Augustin-Normand | Franklin Finance S.A. |
| Left Hand (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 QATAR Prix Vermeille | Carlos Laffon-Parias | Wertheimer & Frère | Wertheimer & Frère |
| Mondialiste (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 Arlington Million Stakes | David O’Meara | G. & S. Turnbull | Wertheimer & Frère |
| Mont Ormel (FR) | Gr 1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris | Pia Brandt | G. Augustin-Normand | Franklin Finance S.A. |
| National Defense (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 QATAR Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere – Grand Criterium | Christiane Head-Maarek | Sun Bloodstock Sarl | Ecurie des Monceaux, Meridian International SARL |
| Qemah (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 Coronation St. | Jean-Claude Rouget | Al Shaqab Racing | Ecurie Haras du Cadran, SCEA Bissons, SAS I.E.I. |
| Qemah (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 Prix Rothschild | Jean-Claude Rouget | Al Shaqab Racing | Ecurie Haras du Cadran, SCEA Bissons, SAS I.E.I. |
| Signs of Blessing (Ass. FR) | Gr 1 LARC Prix Maurice de Gheest | Fraçois Rohaut | I.Corbani | S. Boucheron |
| Silverwave (FR) | Gr 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud | Pascal Bary | HSpirit | Mrs ML. Collet, J. Collet, Mrs M. Collet |
| Vadamos (FR) | Gr 1 QATAR Prix du Moulin de Longchamp | André Fabre | SCEA. Haras de Saint-Pair | SCEA Haras de Saint-Pair |
| Waikika (FR) | Gr 1 Premio Vittorio di Capua | Yann Barberot | P. Bellaiche | Pontchartrain Stud, Revilo Park Stud |
| Zelzal (FR) | Gr 1 Prix Jean Prat | Jean-Claude Rouget | Al Shaqab Racing | V. Timoshenko |
Source: France Galop