Chantilly Racecourse

Built in the 1840s, the Chantilly racecourse is located in the heart of the city and occupies almost 60 ha!

Bordered by the Great Stables, the Castle and the forest, the racecourse has a soft ground that made its reputation. The stands built in 1881 and listed as historical monuments were restored and modernized in the early 2000s. Property of the Institut de France, the racecourse is managed by France Galop. Specialized since its creation in flat racing (galloping), the racecourse hosts nearly 200 races every year – that is to say about 40 days of racing per year.

Enjoy a simple ride around the racecourse with the City of Art and History route

A race takes place over 45 minutes: Weighing of the jockeys, presentation of the horses in the round, placement at the start, race and new presentation of the horses, awarding of the prize. You can bet during the races, offices are provided for this purpose.

Prix du Jockey Club & Prix de Diane

Chantilly is particularly renowned for two grand prizes: the Prix de Jockey Club and the Prix de Diane. These are two races consecrating respectively the best colt and the best filly of the year!

The Prix du Jockey Club, founded in 1836, is now run over 2,100 meters and is open to 3-year-old colts. It always runs on the 1st Sunday of the month of June.

The Prix de Diane was set up in 1843 and is run over the distance of 2100 meters. It is generally associated with elegance! It always runs on the 3rd Sunday of June.

Many activities punctuate these two days in addition to the races: concert, presentation of old cars, hat workshop, parade...
It is recommended to come dressed, hat and jacket being appropriate for these two Prizes!

Race horses

The racehorse is a thoroughbred. Result of a selective breeding started on the 17^th and 18^th century in England, this selection lies in particular on the morphology of this horse (finesse).

Renowned for its agility and great speed, the thoroughbred is bred above all for sprinting, so at a gallop the best horses can reach 60km/h.

The training centers

Chantilly is renowned for the quality of its land. This is why, since the 19th century, many stables and large training centers have been created in this territory. Today more than 3,000 racehorses train daily in Chantilly, Gouvieux, Lamorlaye and Avilly-Saint-Léonard, municipalities in the Cantilian area.

Created in 1898, the Aigles course, laid out in the town of Gouvieux, covers an area of 120 hectares (33 km of sand tracks, 2 artificial fiber sand tracks, grass tracks and rounds for each trainer). Forty coaches benefit from this equipment. Every morning, between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., several hundred horses gallop on this site.
45 % of the starters on the “Parisian” racecourses come from the training centers of Chantilly.

The racing stables

Located on the edge of the Chantilly forest, and a stone's throw from the training tracks, the Bois Saint-Denis district has been the district of Cantilian equestrian life since the end of the 19th century.

Road signs, sanded tracks, special pavement in the streets… everything in Bois Saint-Denis is suitable for horses. The district still hosts today 17 coaches who are responsible for the world's greatest stars. The district is also home to the AFASEC center which trains future racing professionals. 
In order to preserve its heritage and its economic activity, the city of Chantilly has declared certain parcels of Bois Saint-Denis as a "horse-riding area" in its local urban plan. These plots are now protected and reserved for equestrian activity.

Visits to the racing stables and the Eagles training center with specialist guides or City of Art and History lecturers for groups by reservation. Contact us !