ENGLISH TEXTS racing abroad . We sometimes put up too many barriers ,“ adds Nicolas Caullery . The Frenchman sent five horses to Dubai this winter , where he has been successful since 2017 . “ Everyone goes to the United States to buy dirt horses , but if there were six English horses and six American horses at the start of these races , the Americans wouldn ’ t always win ... Moreover , it ’ s amusing to note that in Dubai , all the horses train on dirt in the morning , even if some of them race on turf in the afternoon !“
Dirt : Double or Quits The statistics for the Breeders ’ Cup Classic , created in 1984 , seem to contradict the Chantilly trainer . Only two European horses have managed to win the 2,000m of the most prestigious American race , alongside the Kentucky Derby . The Wildenstein runner Arcangues will remain as the first to defeat the Americans on their own surface , in 1993 . Trained by André Fabre , he started at the astronomical odds of 133 / 1 ! The chances of this son of the Prix de l ’ Arc de Triomphe winner Sagace , himself a winner of the Prix d ’ Ispahan , a Group 1 at Longchamp , were not obvious . His fifteen previous races had been on turf , but Arcangues nevertheless won on the dirt at Santa Anita against the favourite Bertrando . “ His trainer ’ s talent had a lot to do with it , but Arcangues liked flat , even tracks ,“ analyses Hubert Guy , a French bloodstock agent who has been based in the United States for over forty years . “ Dirt is about stamina , races by elimination , not a very elaborated game : the horses go flat out and the least tired wins . The pace , the basic speed of American races is impressive . They demand a huge resistance to effort from the horses , which have big engines , powerful hindquarters .“ A
French horse trying dirt also has to cope with the significant kickback during these races : “ When King Gold came back to the stables , he was all yellow !“ smiles Nicolas Caullery . The champion Irish trainer Aidan O ’ Brien has always struggled in the Breeders ’ Cup Classic despite ... 18 attempts ! Yet he has fielded his best talents , such as Giant ’ s Causeway , 2 nd in 2000 for O ’ Brien ’ s first participation . Galileo only finished 6 th in 2001 and City Of Troy 8 th in 2024 . The switch from turf to dirt did not suit these champions , even those who , like Giant ’ s Causeway , son of Storm Cat and a Breeders ’ Cup Distaff winner on dirt , had American bloodlines .
France Between All-Weather and Turf In France , all-weather tracks have developed over the past twenty years . For Éric Hoyeau , former head of Arqana sales , they have three major advantages : “ In the summer , they are used for less important races , which allows us to preserve the turf surfaces intended for Pattern races . All-weather tracks also give young horses the opportunity to start on less demanding ground in winter . Finally , these tracks allow us to race all year round .“ They remain raceable despite frost and bad weather thanks to the oily substances included in their composition and their high drainage capacity . All-weather tracks can seem “ heavy “ in summer because the heat softens them : “ It ’ s the effect of butter melting in the sun ,“ says Marin Le Cour Grandmaison , head of the Chantilly site for France Galop . The all-weather tracks then become stickier , and the horses ’ times are slower than in winter . French Pattern races are run on turf , but when weather conditions make the ground particularly deep and sticky , the dice are loaded . Alain de Royer Dupré , who notably trained for the Aga Khan , recounts that Sendawar ( Priolo ), winner of four Group 1 races , hated heavy ground : “ There was no point in running him , we declared him a non-runner . But some of my very best horses , like Dalakhani and Zarkava , went on any ground .“ Éric Hoyeau does not believe that the development of all-weather racing has had a real influence on breedinG . “ It is rather the economic reality that sets the trend . To focus on possible exports , we have moved from producing horses for 2,000 metres and over , who appreciate very soft tracks , towards horses for shorter distances who go on firmer ground . The soft ground families have been redirected towards jump racing .“ “ There really are stallions that produce horses with these aptitudes , I ’ m thinking in particular of the lines of Dom Pasquini or Saint des Saints ,“ says trainer Yannick Fouin . “ Horses that gallop from the knee and have a short action have an advantage on this ground , those that are too heavy struggle to cope .“ Like Nicolas Caullery , Yannick Fouin , despite being a great connoisseur of pedigrees , does not rely solely on genetics to select his Auteuil horses . He has just claimed an “ all-weather “ runner at Marseille-Vivaux that he hopes to convert to jump racing . “ He has speed , obviously , and the right action .“ The horse is called No Bay ( New Bay ) and we will soon know if his new trainer ’ s gamble has paid off !
RACES ON SYNTHETIC TURF REPRESENTED 21.2 % OF ALL RACES HELD IN FRANCE IN 2015 , COMPARED TO 23.4 % IN 2024 .
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