Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris - Le Défi des Haras : Update on the Ground Conditions

Édouard Boutolleau, Auteuil Racecourse Manager

"The last race meeting at Auteuil took place on Thursday, May 8. Right after that, we watered the track with 10mm on Friday and the same amount on Saturday.
At the beginning of this week, on Monday morning, the ground was rated at 4.1 (very soft).
Each morning this week, we measured the ground index early. Based on that measurement, the weather forecast, evapotranspiration, and wind, we determined the amount of watering needed to maintain the track at an index of 4.1.

There has been virtually no rainfall this week: on Tuesday we had 0.3mm of water, so basically nothing. And no rain is forecast through Sunday, with temperatures expected to reach between 23°C and 24°C on Saturday and Sunday. That will be perfect: not too hot for the horses, and lovely weather to attract the public!

We also used an aerator on the entire track this week. We’ve prepared the obstacles and set up the running rails:

• The rail at the Passy bend will be at six metres on Saturday and at zero on Sunday
• The rail at the Auteuil bend will remain at zero throughout the weekend

Ground forecast for the weekend: 4.1, VERY SOFT

We reserve the right to water during the night from Saturday to Sunday to maintain this index."