Flat Racing in France
Flat races take place all over France with the main racecourses Longchamp (currently under reconstruction), 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 2016:
| Race | Racecourse | Winner in 2016 | Rank | Pattern Race Rating |
| Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe | Chantilly | Found (IRE) | Long distance races: 2 | 122.00 |
| Prix d’Ispahan | Chantilly | A Shin Hikari (JPN) | 1800m races: 1 | 121.00 |
| Haras du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard - Jacques Le Marois | Deauville | Ribchester (IRE) | Middle distance races: 13 | 118.75 |
| Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp | Chantilly | Vadamos (FR) | Middle distance races: 19 | 118.00 |
| Prix du Jockey Club | Chantilly | Almanzor (FR) | Long distance races: 15 | 117.25 |
| Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud | Saint-Cloud | Silverwave (FR) | Long distance races: 18 | 117.00 |
| Prix Jean Prat | Chantilly | Zelzal (FR) | Middle distance races: 31 | 116.50 |
Source: IFHA
French Flat Group races by racecourse:
| Racecourse | Group 1 races | Group 2 races | Group 3 races |
| Chantilly | Prix d’Ispahan | Prix d’Harcourt | Prix Sigy |
| Qipco Prix du Jockey Club | Prix Vicomtesse Vigier | Prix La Force | |
| Prix de Diane Longines | Prix de Sandringham | Prix Vanteaux | |
| Prix Jean Prat | Prix du Gros-Chêne | Prix de Fontainebleau | |
| Qatar Prix Vermeille | Grand Prix de Chantilly | Prix de la Grotte – Etalon Kendargent | |
| Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp | Prix Hocquart Longines | Prix Noailles | |
| Qatar Prix du Cadran | Qatar Prix Niel | Prix Allez France | |
| Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe | Qatar Prix Foy | Prix de Barbeville | |
| Qatar Prix Jean Luc Lagardère – Grand Criterium | Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein | Prix de Guiche | |
| Total Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches | Qatar Prix Chaudenay | Prix de Royaumont | |
| Prix Opéra Longines | Qatar Prix Dollar | Prix Paul de Moussac Longines | |
| Qatar Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp | Qatar Prix de Royallieu | La Coupe Longines | |
| Qatar Prix de la Forêt | Prix Conseil de Paris | Prix Bertrand du Breuil Longines | |
| Prix Chloé | |||
| Prix Arenberg | |||
| Prix du Pin | |||
| Prix Aumale | |||
| Prix des Chênes | |||
| Qatar Prix Gladiateur | |||
| Qatar Prix du Petit Couvert | |||
| Prix de Conde | |||
| Deauville | Abu Dhabi Poule d’Essai des Pouliches | Haras Firmamento Prix de Pomone | Prix Saint-Georges |
| Abu Dhabi Poule d’Essai des Poulains | Prix Guillaume d’Ornano – Haras du Logis Saint-Germain | Prix du Bois | |
| The Gurkha Prix Saint-Alary | Prix La Nonette Shadwell | Prix de la Porte Maillot | |
| 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 | Haras de la Pomme (Argentine) Prix de Reux | ||
| Darley Prix Jean Romanet | Prix Minerve | ||
| Darley Prix Morny | Prix Lieurey | ||
| Prix Gontaut-Biron – Hong Kong Jockey Club | |||
| Prix du Calvados Shadwell | |||
| Prix Meautry - Barrière | |||
| Prix Quincey – Barrière | |||
| Prix des Réservoirs – Etalon Kendargent | |||
| Maisons-Laffitte | Prix Eugène Adam – Grand Prix de Maisons-Laffitte | Prix Djebel | |
| Prix Robert Papin | Prix Imprudence | ||
| Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte | Prix Texanita | ||
| Prix Palais Royal | |||
| Prix Daphnis | |||
| Prix Ris-Orangis | |||
| Prix Messidor | |||
| La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte | |||
| Prix du Prince d’Orange | |||
| Prix Eclipse | |||
| Prix Bertrand de Tarragon | |||
| Prix Miesque | |||
| Prix de Seine-et-Oise | |||
| Saint-Cloud | Prix Ganay | Prix Muguet | Prix Exbury |
| Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud | Prix Greffulhe | Prix Edmond Blanc | |
| Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris | Prix Corrida | Prix Pénélope | |
| Prix Royal-Oak | Prix Malleret | Prix d’Hedouville | |
| Critérium International | Prix Maurice de Nieuil | Prix Cléopâtre | |
| Critérium de Saint-Cloud | Prix Lys | ||
| Prix Rochette | |||
| Prix Lutèce | |||
| Prix Thomas Bryon | |||
| Prix Flore | |||
| Prix Perth | |||
| 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 2016 by prize money (only French based trainers):
| Trainer | Runners | Starts | Wins | Places | Prize money |
| Jean-Claude Rouget | 189 | 674 | 173 | 361 | € 6,832,155 |
| André Fabre | 190 | 582 | 118 | 313 | € 4,519,279 |
| Henri-Alex Pantall | 227 | 1,013 | 131 | 466 | € 2,855,795 |
| Alain de Royer-Dupré | 84 | 273 | 51 | 136 | € 2,514,545 |
| Christophe Ferland | 94 | 373 | 73 | 189 | € 1,751,480 |
| Freddy Head | 87 | 287 | 54 | 139 | € 1,688,655 |
| Pia Brandt | 84 | 314 | 42 | 161 | € 1,680,020 |
| Philippe Sogorb | 102 | 431 | 65 | 195 | € 1,673,900 |
| Francis-Henri Graffard | 76 | 305 | 52 | 145 | € 1,673,210 |
| François Rohaut | 93 | 343 | 60 | 161 | € 1,569,637 |
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