Aiming High and Thinking Big.
With tennis ball sized hailstones, Vichy racecourse fell victim to a monster hailstorm at the start of the summer season. The venue however was able to react and restore most of its facilities so that the Summer Racing Festival could proceed. Combining ongoing durability with a new look and a new project, Vichy wants to put horse racing and more importantly the horse at the heart of the local region, Auvergne.
The Saudi Cup Champion to Race in the Grand Prix de Vichy on July 20
Vichy is a spa town which became famous for its pastilles sweet confectionary, its recipe for carrots, its checkered fabric and above all its hydrotherapy treatment, which was introduced when Emperor Napoleon III and his court introduced horseracing to the region. Located on the banks of the river Allier, the racecourse hosts all three codes – trotting, flat and jumps (including cross-country) meetings every year.
July is the premier month for this venue with feature trotting races including the newly inaugurated 'Speed Cup and feature Group Two and then in the middle of the month the flat takes centre stage with the Grand Prix de Vichy (Gr3) which this year welcomes the winner of the Saudi Cup (Gr1), Emblem Road (Quality Road).
Trained by Alessandro Botti, Emblem Road galloped at the Chantilly racecourse a few days ago to prepare for this event and identify where the preparation level of Prince Saud bin Salman Abdulaziz's horse remains. He has not raced since February and has also encountered a change of trainer.
Whilst recognised as a regional Grand Prix, the race is ultimately an international contest having crowned horses such as Grand Glory, Cirrus des Aigles and No Risk At All... all horses with a big heart, on a right handed track which is very demanding, both for flat and trotting horses. You can also add other great winners such as Sealiway for flat and Cleangame and many other trotters of Jean-Michel Bazire who loves the racecourse where he has been seasonal champion multiple times.
A Modernized Racecourse
Olivier Louit has been the director of the Vichy racecourse since 2018. The season includes 42 days of racing from May 2 to September 30, but it is an all year-round job to maintain this historic site.
In June, he had to repair several kilometres of the course perforated by hailstones which also damaged the foundations along with roofs of all the buildings, the glass canopies... but spared the track.
For the crowds, finally back after two seasons disrupted by covid, the welcome attraction is a new giant screen measuring 59 sq m. The previous one is still used to run advertisements.
Racecourse facilities include 365 boxes which welcomes a few trotting trainers to be based there all year round and two retired and re-educated trotters which enable sulky trials for tourists during the racing season.
The most spectacular change for the public is the 140m2 mural painting fresco on the façade of the grandstand visible from the public entrance. Street art artists So.Z and Repy One have created works several meters high providing a colourful presentation of the trotter and thoroughbred.
A Big Project for the Future
As was his father, President of the racecourse is Philippe Bouchara. He has big plans which he presented during the press conference at the start of the Summer meeting. It is his ambition to make Vichy racecourse the heart of a "large theme park around the horse".
"It is a pity to have an exceptional site of 65 ha and to use it so little, he explained. I want to develop a park like Puy du Fou (an historical theme park in Les Epesses in the Loire region of western France) and create a scenography around the horse, its history and its relationship with men. We would be the first in France to have this type of place, knowing that the Vichy racecourse lends itself perfectly. The demand for new leisure activities exists and it is very strong. It's about creating a new identity, more modern, totally related to the horse and that the public can easily embrace. We would like to host a pony trotting academy, an equine therapy center as well as other cultural activities still linked to the horse. In terms of racing, we have plans to modernise the betting hall in 2023".
