EN SAVOIR PLUS
The training centres
Chantilly
Chantilly is the largest of France’s training centres, with 2,636 horses in training, 2,543 of them thoroughbreds (figures recorded in the peak period of April 2006). Some 70% of the competitors running on Parisian racecourses are trained at Chantilly.
Situated on the edge of the six thousand-hectare Chantilly Forest, Chantilly Training Centre is a unique 1,900-hectare estate (1,500 hectares leased and 400 hectares fully owned) comprising various training facilities: les Aigles, Lamorlaye, Coye-la-Forêt, Avilly-St-Léonard and the famous “Piste des Lions” linking Chantilly castle to Lamorlaye through the forest.
Like no other in the world, this complex owes its success to the natural qualities of the sand (pure silica), the soil (sandy loam) and the subsoil (half-soft draining limestone), which make the tracks usable 365 days a year, irrespective of the weather.
Chantilly Training Centre offers the horseracing elite 120 hectares of grass tracks and 120 kilometres of sand tracks (including three with a special synthetic sand/fibre mix), 12 kilometres of jumps tracks studded with 100 obstacles and one dirt track (a mix of sand, loam and clay similar to that used for American racetracks).
The success of the complex is ensured by its meticulous upkeep. The sand tracks reserved for racing are raked between three and ten times a day and the sand topped up or reshaped regularly. The Chantilly Training Centre maintenance team comprises 72 permanent and 30 seasonal staff.
Every year, the grass tracks accommodate an average of 33,000 gallops and the system as a whole offers numerous configurations, such as a straight line for young horses, a round track, a right-hand and left-hand curve, plus summer and winter tracks. These tracks benefit from constant care in order to ensure a level surface and thereby preserve the fragile limbs of the horses.
In 2003, a mixed sand/fibre track for horses was created at the Lamorlaye and Coye-la-Forêt centre, on the former woodland track along the “Montée des Princes”. Its 6-metre width, extending over 1,280 metres in length, generally allows three horses to be ridden abreast and includes a rise at the end giving it a total height difference of 5 metres.
The grass tracks are trimmed up to three times a week, repaired after the passage of horses, and rolled before and after their use. In addition to this painstaking maintenance programme, there are some 40 kilometres of fencing and 18 kilometres of hurdles to be maintained, along with all the track edges to be pruned.
In fine weather, watering takes place on the sand tracks each afternoon and, on two thirds of the estate’s grass surfaces, twice a week during the night. Chantilly Training Centre is served by 6 pumping stations, providing 650,000 m3 of water annually.
Chantilly Racecourse, meanwhile, is open for training every Tuesday and is used by approximately 800 horses for up to 2,000 training gallops per year. Its uniqueness resides in the demanding nature of its 600-metre home straight, which includes an ascent at a gradient of 10 m over the final stretch . It is the ideal course for a thoroughbred to fully express all its power and talent.
Like the racecourses, the training centres also play a key role in the selection process and contribute to the renown of French racehorses.
The Aigles training centre
Located near the town of Gouvieux, the Aigles training ground consists of 220 hectares, including 70 hectares of turf, 33 km of sand tracks, 4 km of jumps tracks and two 2,000-m synthetic sand/fibre tracks, one in a straight line alongside the Piste de Réservoirs, the other semi-circular, on the outside the round grass track located in a large glade. This is where the majority of the centre’s residents are based, with roughly 1,300 horses and 40 trainers benefiting from a mix of old and modern stables.
Since July 2001, a tunnel built for safety reasons under Route Nationale 16 links Saint-Denis wood with the Aigles centre and is used by between 800 and 1000 horses each day. Its construction was jointly funded by the government, the regional and local councils, and France Galop.
Also in the interests of facilitating the horses’ movement, a programme designed to improve safety conditions in Saint-Denis wood has been implemented.
The Lamorlaye and Coye-la-Forêt centres
This area consists of 75 hectares, including 15 hectares of turf, 22 km of sand tracks, 6 km of jumps tracks, one dirt track 1,400 metres long and one 1,400-metre sand/fibre (PSF) track. 600 horses, supervised by some thirty trainers, share the centre.
Avilly-St-Léonard
Created in 1974, this centre is home to several stables served by 15 hectares of turf track, 19 km of sand track and 2 km of jumps track.
Chantilly forest
Set within 1,500 metres of forest, 47 km of sand tracks, 17 km for galloping and 30 for walking, are used by around 30 trainers to train over 550 horses. The majestic “Piste des Lions” is the most well known, with its 4 km of straight track linking Chantilly castle with Lamorlaye through the forest.
Visits to the training centre:
By reservation only through the Chantilly Tourism Office
Phone 03 44 67 37 37
accueil@chantilly-tourisme.com.