TROT RACING AT CAGNES-SUR-MER
Reviewed by ANDRE
BEAUMONT
In many years of going to race meetings I
have never been to see trot racing so I went to see some on 20 July 2016 at the
Hippodrome de la Côte d'Azur at
Cagnes-Sur-Mer.
The racecourse
building is elegant modernist, completed in 1960, and a minor aesthetic delight
to be in with plenty of opportunity to dine from behind glass whilst watching
the racing.
Beneath the terraces - like a wonderfully clean railway
station
There are many options for dining, taking refreshments or
viewing from behind glass with a view of the Mediterranean and the
course
The track is approximately two
concentric polytrack and turf ovals and the whole hippodrome is also used as a
training ground with training going on in parts of it whilst racing is taking
place on other parts much like an airport is busy whilst aeroplanes are taking
off and landing.
The course from the rarely visited Mediterranean
side
I am still a little bemused as to what
to make of it. Except for their well-being, no one apart from the immediate
connections and officials seemed to take an active interest in the physical
condition of the animals before or after the races. There was no parade ring in
which to inspect the horses. The skill clearly lies with the jockeys and there
are numerous disqualifications in some races.
The horses appeared very patient and
tolerant after the races waiting as their legs were unstrapped and they were
unharnessed . They must appreciate the removal of discomfort and none kicked
out.
At the stables being prepared to
race
Most of the attention concentrated on
the winning jockey and occasionally the trainer because, with the footage of
the race, it made the best television for transmission. Seeing the race, unless
you were high up, or had brought binoculars, was best done on the large
screen.
The winning horse of the first race,
Authentic Charm, with jockey and racecourse official
There was no frenzy of betting - it was
very sedate and most people did not bet - but evidently the mere fact of late
evening racing supports a whole nationwide betting industry where punters in
cafés place bets on the races on these southernmost racetracks where
temperatures would neither support daytime races nor having the horses
galllop.
Most of the horses seem to have come
from northern climes, like Normandy and Belgium, but it looks like profitable
work if you win
The entry charge is kept low, the prize
money is high, so it would appear revenue flows from nationwide betting to the
courses. It does prove to be a very relaxing way to spend an evening, which can
be extended into the floodlit night if you are so minded, and well worth
repeating.
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