Deauville-La-Touques Racecourse Racing and the sea

History

French racing already owes Napoleon III’s half-brother, the Duke of Morny a debt of gratitude for the construction of Longchamp (1857), and for the conception and financing of the Grand Prix de Paris (1863). But the third act of his racing patronage would come with the racecourse at Deauville. With the support of his friend Doctor Oliffe, Morny decided to organise the races at Deauville in the hope that this would serve as a quick way of making the town competitive with Brighton in England, Baden-Baden in Germany and above all the neighbouring resort of Dieppe in Normandy, where races had been held since 1850. In their opinion, casinos and racecourses were inseparable.

Over sixty-six hectares of drained marshland, two tracks were laid out and stands built against a backdrop of green hills. The Société d’Encouragement and the Société des Courses de Caen placed the practical side of organising the races in the hands of the newly created Société des Courses de Deauville. For the use of the Parisian population, there was an express train linking the capital to the station at Trouville.

On Sunday the 14th and Monday 15th August 1864, the first two race meetings took place on the banks of the river Touques.

For the Duke of Morny there would be no return to the races at Deauville. He died on 8 March 1865, five months before the second race meeting on the 6 and 7 August. However, the demise of its number one promoter did not stop Deauville races from quickly becoming a highlight of the French racing calendar.

The weighing room was built in 1880 by the Trouville architect Delarue, inspired by vernacular buildings from the second half of the eighteenth century.

When the racecourse celebrated its fiftieth anniversary on 6 August 1913, the south side was extended with a building in the same style. The layout of the outer wall of the weighing room and the paddock is the work of the architect and landscape gardener Eugène Thouret.

The Second Empire stands were rebuilt in 1919 on the initiative of Count Jacques Le Marois, president of the Société d’Encouragement. In place of simple terraces covered by a large awning, the architects Louis Lefranc and Alfred Pigny constructed an imposing building in reinforced concrete, partially ornamented with brick décoration. It could accommodate 2,000 spectators. Its monumental character is softened by a range of elements projecting from the building (bow-windows, peristyles, canopies).

In 1921, la Société d’Encouragement, which had taken control of the site, acquired land to the south of the racecourse in order build stables. These were created by Charles Adda, who completed the ensemble with a group of four villas.

The training centre at Deauville only dates from 1982. At the end of October 1991, two extra race days were held. This was the start of an autumn meeting. On 30 July 1995, following important work that was carried out in the off-season, La Touques racecourse reopened its doors. It had the great novelty of a new track, created by borrowing the outer part of the very large turf training area, itself situated inside the main track. This new track was soon substituted for an All-Weather track, which opened on 6 July 2003. As it can be used for training and racing whatever the weather, even in winter, it means that the turf track can be protected. In December 2003 meetings were organised for the first time in December and January.