Flat - Black Type programme: changes to French regional programme
FLAT RACING
BLACK TYPE PROGRAMME :
CHANGES TO FRENCH REGIONAL PROGRAMME
Following the meeting of the European Pattern Committee on 7 February 2025 at France Galop's headquarters, and an exceptional meeting of the Board of Directors on Friday 14 February 2025, several changes to the Black Type programme were approved.
Several changes were made to Black Type races in the French regional programme. The most important is the promotion of the 2nd leg of the Défi du Galop, run at the La Teste – Bassin d’Arccahon racecourse, to Listed status. Formerly run as the Prix Hippocampus, the race has been renamed Grand Prix du Bassin d’Arcachon – 2nd leg of the Défi du Galop – G. Camprubi. It is programmed for Saturday, 22 March 2025.
As the race had qualified for an upgrade thanks to consistent ratings over the past three years, all the legs of the Défi du Galop are now Listed races. In line with the upgrade, prize-money for the Grand Prix du Bassin d’Arcachon has increased from €38,000 to €52,000.
Other changes in the regional programme
Date and location changes for the following races:
- Prix Urban Sea (Listed) : The Prix Urban Sea will be held on the Thursday of Ascension, which falls on 29 May 2025 (compared to 9 May in 2024).
- Grand Prix de Clairefontaine (Listed) : This year, the 15th of August falls on a Friday. As it was decided to keep the traditional schedule of the Deauville Barrière Meeting (racing on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) and Clairefontaine Meeting (racing on Monday and/or Wednesday, and/or Friday), the Clairefontaine racecourse will organise the 15th of August meeting this year. The Grand Prix de Clairefontaine, which was run on the 17th of July last year, will be moved to that August date to bolster the card. This also means that it will be positioned in line with the Prix Frédéric de Lagrange and the Prix Turenne.
- Grand Prix de Marseille (Listed) : to better showcase this important meeting at the Marseille – Borély racecourse, without clashing with a meeting in Paris, the Grand Prix de Marseille has been brought forward from mid-November to mid-October (In 2025, it will be run on 18 October).
- Grand Prix des Provinces (Listed) : this Listed is run on a different racecourse each year. For the first time in its history, in 2025, it will be run at Strasbourg on 11 November.