Paris Equestrian and Polo Circuit — Longchamp, Chantilly, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the French Racing Season

Longchamp Racecourse and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

Longchamp Racecourse (Route des Tribunes — in the Bois de Boulogne, 16ème arrondissement, at the western extremity of Paris — 8 kilometres from the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées) :

**The venue:** Longchamp was inaugurated in 1857 under Napoleon III — the Emperor ordered the creation of a racecourse in the Bois de Boulogne as part of his redesign of western Paris by Baron Haussmann. The course was completely rebuilt in 2018 (at a cost of €140 million) into the current Tribune de Paris — a curved grandstand of 7,500 seats designed by Architect Atelier Zündel Cristea, with a panoramic terrace offering a direct sightline over the entire 2,400-metre straight. The Tribune de Paris replaced the original 1904 Eugène Henard grandstand — demolished despite being listed as a historic monument, a decision that remains controversial in French architectural circles.

**The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe:** the Arc, first run in 1920 (winner: Comrade, trained by Peter Gilpin, owned by Evremond de Saint-Alary), is the defining race of the European flat season — run over 2,400 metres on the first Sunday of October, it attracts the best horses from the 3-year-old crop and older horses from Ireland, England, France, Japan, the United States and Australia. The total prize money was increased to €5 million in 2016 (from €4 million) — the winner receives approximately €2.85 million. The race has been won by Japanese horses three times (Deep Impact was disqualified; Orfevre (2011, 2012 — second both times in the most celebrated near-miss in Arc history), El Condor Pasa (1999 — second to Montjeu); Almond Eye (2018)) confirming the Arc as the benchmark metric for the global Thoroughbred.

**The access logistics:** Longchamp presents significant vehicle access challenges on Arc day — the Bois de Boulogne is partially closed to private vehicles, and the race day attracts 50,000+ spectators. FFGR maintains access to the Owner and Trainer parking areas (reserved passes coordinated in advance) and the helicopter landing pad adjacent to the paddock (for clients arriving from Paris by helicopter rather than road). The preferred FFGR route for Arc day: hotel → Porte Maillot → Avenue de la Grande Armée → Porte Dauphine → Route des Tribunes (using the Bois de Boulogne access route reserved for accredited vehicles).

Chantilly — the capital of French racing and the Château

Chantilly (40 kilometres north of Paris — via the A1 autoroute du Nord, 45 minutes by private vehicle; or via the RER D / Transilien from Paris Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux, 30 minutes) :

**The training grounds:** Chantilly is the largest Thoroughbred training centre in continental Europe — 3,000 horses in training across 12 training grounds operated by 200 licensed trainers. The Grandes Écuries de Chantilly (the Great Stables — built by Jean Aubert in 1719-1740 for the Prince de Condé Louis-Henri de Bourbon, who believed in the metempsychosis theory that he would be reincarnated as a horse and wanted stabling appropriate to his future status) is the most ambitious equestrian building in the world — a 186-metre façade in classical French style, capable of stabling 240 horses, currently housing the Musée du Cheval (open to the public) and serving as the finishing point of the prestigious "Breakfast with the Horses" programme operated for bloodstock professionals and UHNW guests.

**The Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby):** the Jockey Club, run over 2,100 metres at Chantilly on the first Sunday of June, is the French Derby — the premier classic race for 3-year-old colts and fillies in France. The race was first run in 1836 and carries prize money of €1.5 million (winner: approximately €900,000). The Chantilly Racecourse paddock and weighing room are among the most elegant in European racing — the paddock garden (designed in the English manner, with mature plane trees) is the centrepiece of the owner and trainer experience.

**The Château de Chantilly:** the Château de Chantilly (built 1875-1882 by the Duc d'Aumale, son of King Louis-Philippe, on the site of the original château demolished during the Revolution) houses the Musée Condé — the second most important private art collection in France after the Louvre, bequeathed to the Institut de France in 1886. The collection includes the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry (the greatest illuminated manuscript of the Middle Ages — produced circa 1412-1416 by the Limbourg brothers), 800 paintings including works by Raphael (the Three Graces, 1504-1505), Poussin, Ingres, and a collection of 1,500 drawings including works by Botticelli and Michelangelo.

**FFGR access from Paris:** standard circuit — hotel (08h00) → Paris Nord (08h30) → Chantilly-Gouvieux (or direct private vehicle, 45 minutes) → Grandes Écuries breakfast (09h00-11h00) → Château de Chantilly (11h00-13h00) → lunch at the Auberge du Jeu de Paume (the Chantilly estate restaurant) → afternoon races or polo.

Polo — Bagatelle, Chantilly and the Paris Open de France

The Paris polo circuit operates from May to October across three principal clubs:

**Polo Club de Paris — Bagatelle (Allée de la Reine Marguerite — Bois de Boulogne, 16ème):** the oldest polo club in continental Europe, founded in 1892. The Bagatelle ground is situated in the most scenic part of the Bois de Boulogne — adjacent to the Parc de Bagatelle (the 24-hectare English garden built in 1775 as the result of a wager between Marie-Antoinette and the Comte d'Artois, who bet the Queen he could build a garden folly in 64 days). The Bagatelle polo field hosts the Paris Open de France — the most prestigious international polo tournament in France — in June, attracting players of 6-8 goal handicap from Argentina, England, the United States and the Gulf states.

**Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly (Route d'Apremont — adjacent to the Chantilly Racecourse and Grandes Écuries):** the Chantilly polo club is the most ambitious polo facility in France — 4 regulation grounds (300 × 160 metres) on the estate of the Chantilly forest, with a spectator capacity of 5,000 for the summer tournament season. The club's July tournament (the Chantilly Trophy) is the premier medium-goal event (8-12 goal) on the French circuit.

**Deauville Polo Club (Normandy — 200 kilometres from Paris via the A13, 2h15 by private vehicle):** Deauville hosts the most glamorous polo event in the French calendar — the Gucci Paris Masters Polo at Deauville in August, concurrent with the Deauville racing season (the Prix Morny, Prix Jacques Le Marois and the Grand Prix de Deauville are the three feature races of the Deauville August meeting). The combination of racing and polo at Deauville in August is the social peak of the Norman summer season — FFGR provides dedicated day-trip transport from Paris to Deauville for the August meeting.

The Haras du Pin — the French national stud in Normandy

The Haras du Pin (61310 Le Pin-au-Haras, Normandy — 175 kilometres from Paris via the A28, 2h15 by private vehicle):

**The institution:** the Haras du Pin is the oldest and most important of the 23 national studs of France — founded in 1716 by Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Torcy (the grandson of Louis XIV's minister Colbert), built 1728-1740 to designs attributed to Jules Hardouin-Mansart and completed by Robert de Cotte (who also designed the Grand Trianon at Versailles). The Haras du Pin is called the "Versailles of the Horse" — the central avenue is modelled on the Allée Royale at Versailles, the main building (the château) is in classical French style with a horseshoe-shaped stable block housing 100 stallions.

**The stallions:** the Haras du Pin currently stands approximately 50 stallions — the public roster includes both Thoroughbred racing stallions (serving commercial mares at fees of €2,500-€35,000 per covering) and French Trotter and Selle Français stallions. The most valuable stallion currently at stud in France is typically a recent Group 1 winner from the Aga Khan stud (the largest private Thoroughbred breeding operation in Europe, with 750 mares bred annually from the Boussac estate at Grosbois and the Haras de Bonneval in Calvados).

**The Normandy bloodstock circuit:** the Haras du Pin is the centrepiece of the Norman bloodstock circuit — the most important Thoroughbred breeding region in Europe outside the Curragh in Ireland. The Deauville yearling sales (Arqana August and October sales) are held at the Arqana sales complex (Chemin des Tréfonds, Deauville) and represent the primary commercial auction for French-bred Thoroughbreds. The Aga Khan, the Niarchos family (via Flaxman Holdings), and the Wertheimer family (Chanel, via Wertheimer Thoroughbred) are the dominant private breeding operations in Normandy — FFGR provides transport for their principals and guests throughout the breeding and sales season.

Deauville — the Norman racing and social season

Deauville (14800 — 200 kilometres from Paris via the A13, 2h15 by private vehicle; or 2h10 by Intercités from Paris Saint-Lazare to Deauville-Trouville station) :

**The summer season:** Deauville has been the destination of the Parisian upper class since the 1860s, when the Duc de Morny (half-brother of Napoleon III) built the first casino and racecourse and invited the Empress Eugénie. The August meeting at Deauville Racecourse (La Touques track — 2,000 metres) is the most glamorous racing event in France outside the Arc — the Deauville week brings together international racing owners (the Aga Khan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Godolphin operation, Australian and Japanese owners), film industry personalities (the American Film Festival at Deauville is concurrent — since 1975, the last week of August), and the Norman landed gentry.

**Luxury accommodation:** the Grand Hôtel Barrière de Deauville (38 Rue Jean Mermoz — on the seafront, 200m from the famous Deauville planches) is the reference hotel of the season — 242 rooms and suites, casino, spa, direct access to the beach. The Normandy Barrière (38 Rue Jean Mermoz — adjacent, same group) provides an additional 291 rooms for the peak August week. Both hotels are fully booked 6-9 months in advance for the peak August meeting week.

**FFGR Deauville programme:** one-day circuit from Paris — hotel departure 07h00, Deauville by 09h30, breakfast at the Normandy Barrière terrace, morning at the Arqana sales (10h00-12h00 if sales are concurrent), afternoon racing at La Touques (first race 14h00), post-racing dinner at the Ciro's brasserie on the planches, Paris return 21h00-22h00.

Booking the Paris equestrian circuit

FFGR structures the equestrian and racing service around the French racing calendar:

**Arc de Triomphe day transport (first Sunday of October):** vehicle with dedicated driver from hotel to Longchamp Owner and Trainer entrance (advance accreditation pass required — coordinate with the France Galop ticketing and owner services team at least 3 weeks before the race). The premium experience: helicopter transfer Paris (Issy-les-Moulineaux or Pontoise) to the Longchamp helicopter pad (10-minute flight, landing adjacent to the paddock entrance) — FFGR coordinates the Longchamp helicopter pad allocation and post-race ground vehicle.

**Chantilly Breakfast with the Horses:** France Galop offers a guided programme for bloodstock professionals and invited guests — early morning arrival at the Grandes Écuries (06h00-06h30), observation of morning training (strings of 20-30 horses working on the all-weather tracks and the grass gallops), breakfast in the Grandes Écuries stabling. FFGR departs Paris hotel at 05h30 for the Chantilly morning programme — the 40-kilometre journey takes 45 minutes in the pre-dawn traffic.

**Polo transport (May–October):** for the Bagatelle Paris Open de France and the Chantilly Trophy, FFGR provides vehicle management for the duration of the tournament day — typically 10h00-19h00, with the vehicle available for inter-venue movements between polo, racing, and lunch.

**Normandy yearling sales (Arqana, August and October):** FFGR provides dedicated ground transport for bloodstock agents and buyer clients attending the Deauville sales — hotel Paris → Deauville Arqana (departure 06h30 for 09h00 preview openings), with evening return or overnight Deauville accommodation coordination.

Contact: reservation@ffgrparis.com · WhatsApp +33 7 43 46 14 91.