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catastrophic breakdowns on course and sudden deaths.‘ If you only promote wagering, especially to a younger generation you have no chance because they have gaming, instant gratification,’ he added.‘ So, we have to really promote our sport.’ France Galop appears to have similar objectives with its most important change to the flat program moving two Group 1 races, the Ispahan and Vicomtesse Vigier to the JeuXdi May 21 in order to introduce the young audience of Longchamp’ s Thursday nights to racing of the highest level and to put on such events in front of a big and enthusiastic crowd. Southwell racecourse in the North of England showed this week that it is possible to create a racing event which draws a big audience and generates betting turnover, while promoting the sport of racing. Constitution Hill, a nine year old gelding, but an outstanding horse over hurdles made his flat race debut in a specially devised conditions race on a Friday night on Southwell’ s all-weather track. The Nicky Henderson trained gelding’ s ten race winning streak, which made him one of the best known horses in the country, had come to a terrible halt with three falls in his last four starts and so his trainer suggested it would be a good idea to run him on the flat. Southwell came forward and put on the race which attracted a crowd about hundred times larger than its usual Friday evening and its betting turnover among the best races of 2026 so far. Constitution Hill surprised everybody winning in a canter by 9 ½ lengths, suggesting he could be up to competing in Group races on the flat. An equine star, a competitive race as the £ 40,000 added attracted a field of thirteen, and a new challenge created an event which appealed to those close enough to go to the track as well as to the wider audience following from a distance. Constitution Hill may or may not return to Cheltenham in March to try to regain his Champion Hurdle crown but for a long term objective the obvious target has to be the Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier over 3100 metres. What better story could France Galop produce for the first Group 1 to be run at Longchamp at night, the best domestic stayers taking on Britain’ s leading hurdler? There is no simple solution to racing’ s problems in France or elsewhere, but the only way forward is to promote the sport to as wide an audience as possible and to come together to make the changes necessary to achieve this. Inviting Constitution Hill to Longchamp would be a step in the right direction.
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INTERNATIONAL DUBAI WORLD CUP: A SPORTING SUCCESS DESPITE AN UNCERTAIN CONTEXT
BY KATHERINE FORD
The Dubai Racing Club had planned an extravagant celebration, something only Dubai knows how to do, to mark the 30 th anniversary of its $ 30.5 million meeting. The situation in the Middle East, however, had other plans. Despite a few withdrawals linked to the uncertainty of the context, the event lived up to sporting expectations, notably thanks to the presence of three of the world’ s top four horses according to the Longines rankings, and the results confirmed its international stature.
For us in France, as well as for his many fans around the world, Calandagan was the main attraction of the meeting, and the Aga Khan Studs champion delivered a dazzling performance. After racing well behind the leader West Wind Blows, who did not weaken in the final stages, he showed a superb turn of foot to take the lead 100 metres from the finish, and Mickaël Barzalona even had the composure to pat his partner as they crossed the line. A new XXL season is underway for Francis-Henri Graffard’ s gelding! Mickaël Barzalona had earlier caused an upset during the meeting, winning the Dubai Gold Cup with the mare Fairy Glen, who was trying the 3,200-metre distance for the first time. She carries the colours of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the son of Sheikh Mohammed, and is trained
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