French Racing to Restart With Four Group Races
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Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post
The first race meeting in France since the COVID-19 shutdown will be held at ParisLongchamp
Racing in France will recommence with four group races on the opening day at ParisLongchamp on May 11 as France Galop revealed a revised schedule following the shutdown of racing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All group 1 races are to be rearranged, starting with the unusual sight of the French Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and One Thousand Guineas (G1) taking place on a Monday, June 1.
What also is evident is that Longchamp is still scheduled to host the classic races despite a warning from leading trainer Nicolas Clement on April 23 when suggesting the races may be moved with Paris' health care services already strained.
Among other group 1 races, the Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary and Prix Ganay will be run June 14, the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on June 28, and the French Derby and Oaks on July 5.
The Prix d'Ispahan (G1) has been moved to July 19 and, for this season only, is open to 3-year-olds.
The first day of racing in France on May 11 is set to be a key trials day for top-level events later in the year. The feature is the Prix d'Harcourt (G2), a key early season Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) trial won by Al Kazeem, Cloth of Stars, and Ghaiyyath in recent years.
The main trials for the two Guineas, the Prix de la Grotte (G3) and Prix de Fontainebleau (G3), are also scheduled, along with the Prix de Saint-Georges (G3), a sprint.
Longchamp's curtain-raising meeting will supplement racing in Toulouse and Compiegne.
Notable races that will be lost from the calendar include Maisons-Laffitte's Prix Eugene Adam (G2), won last season by the Roger Charlton-trained Headman.
The key Arc trial, the Prix Niel (G2), has also been scrapped, with the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1) to take that race's slot Sept. 13.
The jumps program has been cut significantly to provide more opportunities for flat horses, but the Grand Steeple Chase de Paris and Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil are scheduled for June 7.
Racing in France has been suspended since March 17, and a resumption date of May 11 was revealed Tuesday. Racing will take place behind closed doors, and horses or jockeys based outside of France would not be able to run until the end of May at the latest.
Entries for the Arc will be closed in mid-June, although no official date has been set yet.