ENGLISH TEXTS
� PAGE 92
UK
KATHERINE FORD’ S CHRONICLE
POSTCARD FROM DEAUVILLE
The first time I heard about Deauville was during my Erasmus year in Pau, when I used to ride for François Rohaut in the mornings. People would ask me,“ Are you going to Deauville in August? It’ s full of English people over there …” I didn’ t get the chance to leave the South- West that summer, but my curiosity had been piqued. The myth of Deauville, and the desire to discover this very special town, only grew stronger two years later, when I was working with one of the biggest English fans of the Normandy meeting. The late Desmond Stoneham, Director of the International Racing Bureau and Racing Post correspondent, likely played a big part in popularising Deauville among the British, notably thanks to his essential guide to local hotspots, published in the Bloodstock supplement of the Racing Post every August. He knew the town’ s pleasures, and its pitfalls, inside out, and often warned:“ Deauville is wonderful, but beware, some people go mad there!” The intoxicating mix of daily racing, closeness to jockeys and trainers, nightclubs and bars, sun-
shine( between rain …) and a holiday atmosphere- all set in a postcard-perfect town- had proven dangerous for some of his former assistants, known as the“ Desmond Girls”! I survived the dangers of Deauville, and over twenty years later, I still feel like I’ m discovering a dollhouse village every time I arrive. Gone are the long summer stays, cycling between our temporary office in Bénerville, the two racecourses, the Brok Café for race debriefs and the latest gossip, and finally wobbling back late at night, bike a little worse for wear, to the flat in Trouville- but the charm remains. A charm that never fails to work on the British. Holidaymakers find all their favourite pastimes, racing, the beach, good food paired with cocktails, rosé or even calvados for the boldest of them, all in a setting that’ s green, relaxed, and not too foreign-feeling. Racing professionals come for work, but with a more laid-back spirit, at least on the surface, compared to many other race meetings or sales. Sometimes with family or friends, you’ ll spot them jogging on the boardwalks in the morning, shopping at the Place Morny market, and of course, dining late into the night. A blend of business and pleasure that is not only allowed, but positively encouraged in Deauville!
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� PAGE 94
IRE
VICKI GIBBINS’ CHRONICLE
START DREAMING ABOUT NEXT YEAR
It may be July, but it’ s never too early to look ahead to the end of the pattern flat season and the closing two-year-old Group 1’ s of the European Flat calendar – the 1600m Critérium International and the 2000m Critérium de Saint-Cloud. The Critérium International is a relatively new addition to the French racing calendar, introduced in 2001 and granted Group 1 status from its inauguration as part of a new programme for juveniles in France. Replacing the 1400m Prix de la Salamandre, the contest was originally run over 1600m, but as part of a review and changes to the French autumn two-year-old programme, reduced and tried over 1400m. The race was tried at both Chantilly( 2018) and Longchamp( 2019) however both changes were not successful, and the race was returned to its original home and distance in 2020 – a 1600m Group 1 held at Saint-Cloud. The Critérium de Saint-Cloud has a longer history, established in 1901 as a mid-November feature before its transition a decade ago to be run during the second half of Octo-
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