Lights, camera, action at Deauville

France has always been on many Singaporeans’ bucket list when it is time to pack their bags and latest multi-currency plastic cards for a holiday, especially romantic Paris for honeymooners.

Less keyed in on the destination search box is Normandy, unless you are a devout Christian or serious World War II history buff.

France’s northwestern-most region gets busloads of tourists and pilgrims alike to one of its most iconic landmarks, the Mont Saint-Michel. Further up north in the Calvados, the Omaha and Utah beaches are flocked, not so much by sunbathers, but for their famous Normandy D-Day landings.

That Allied Forces – hence partly American – link has stretched into peacetime for cinephiles who have long circled September in red on their calendar for its American Film Festival at Deauville.

Now that is a chic beach resort that rings a bell, not only for its picture-postcard Les Planches boardwalk, but also to world racing fans.

Around two to three hours away by road from Paris, Deauville is known as the Parisian Riviera for a reason. It is home to the rich and famous in search of a luxury lifestyle or weekend getaway.

Over the years, one of the wealthy society’s playgrounds to have popped up along with plenty of champagne is equestrian sport, namely polo and horse racing.

Every summer, Deauville attracts both racing enthusiasts and casual visitors to the historic La Touques hippodrome, which sprawls over 75 hectares.

First held during the Second French Empire at the Duc de Morny’s initiative, the August carnival known as the Barriere Deauville meeting has taken centre stage on the international racing calendar and become one of the highlights of the European flat season.

This year, the festival began on Aug 2 with the Group 1 Prix Rothschild (1,600m), which was captured by English raider Blue Bolt for Juddmonte and the Andrew Balding yard and will end on Aug 30 with the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville (2,500m) traditionally bringing the curtain down on the four-week racing extravaganza.

On the same day, the jockey with the most wins will be handed the champion trophy, which was won by Maxime Guyon in 2025.

Races are staged four days a week – Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays – adding up to 16 race days attended by Europe flat racing’s leading participants.

Seven Group 1 races ensure high-octane action throughout the month, including two for purebred Arabian horses, both run over 2,000m on Aug 4, the Prix Manganate (or Doha Cup) won by HM Alchahine and Prix Kesberoy (or Al Rayyan Cup) won by Alkrar.

The highlights remain the five Group 1 events for thoroughbreds.

Besides the Prix Rothschild and Prix Maurice de Gheest (1,300m), which was won by the Aga Khan Studs’ and Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Samangan on Aug 9, the Prix Jacques Le Marois (1,600m) on Aug 16, Prix Morny (1,200m) and Prix Jean et Louis Romanet (2,000m) on Aug 23 are the meeting’s remaining Group 1 races.

The Prix Jacques Le Marois or the Marois as it is commonly known, is often dubbed as the “milers’ Arc”, a nod to its status as the midsummer equivalent to France’s premier race, the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m) which will be run at ParisLongchamp on Oct 4.

Run over the 1,600m straight, the Marois also earns the winner an automatic “win and you’re in” ticket to the US$2 million (S$2.56 million) Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile (1,600m) in Keeneland on Oct 31.

Unfortunately, the race will be robbed of its gloss with trainer George Boughey’s shock announcement on Aug 11 that English sensation Bow Echo was retired due to an injury. His arch-rival Gstaad is also a no-show due to an infection.

The marquee race still holds plenty of international interest with Japan’s duo of Strauss, to be ridden by Brazil superstar, former four-time Singapore champion jockey Joao Moreira, and Sixpence.

The Barriere Deauville programme also boasts 16 pattern races, such as the Group 3 Prix de Cabourg (1,200m) on the opening day, and the closing Grand Prix de Deauville, and Thursday twilight meetings featuring live music, DJ sets and pop-up restaurants.

Before the August meeting kicked off, racegoers were already treated to high-quality preludes as hors d’oeuvre, such as the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat (1,400m) on July 12.

Such is the wide palette of nations converging onto La Touques at this time of the year that the 3YO feature was won by a UK raider, Thesecretadversary, for Irish trainer Fozzy Stack and Belgian ace jockey Christophe Soumillon.

While not as big a crowd puller, horsey events are also held in winter, such as Equidays in the second weekend of October and the December all-weather meetings.

manyan@sph.com.sg