“France Galop must learn to live with less”, says his boss

The affiliation, which organizes 7000 gallop races per 12 months, has been dealing with, since 2011, a drop in its revenues. The conquest of recent audiences is an obligation to begin off on the precise foot.

How was France Galop born?

OLIVIER DELLOYE. The primary horse races, imported from England, happened at first of the 19th century. Wealthy house owners collect in Chantilly (Oise), Longchamp (Paris)… Firstly of the 20th century, there was the arrival of horse racing betting. Within the 1950s, racing turned essential and this small elite turned extra skilled. Then in 1995, with the goal of financial effectivity, a number of racing firms, concerned within the gallop, determined to make a standard home inside France Galop.

What’s his mission ?

The affiliation administers and regulates the gallop races, by fixing the calendar, this system of every day, the quantities to be distributed… These decisions permit us to encourage the development of the race. The aim is each sporting, making horses extra environment friendly, and economical, in order that individuals who make it their job can stay from it.

Concretely, how do you do it?

If we dedicate 80% of the cash out there in 2-year-old horse racing, this may have an effect on the crosses that breeders will make. It’s a very worldwide exercise with competitors between massive international locations similar to England, the USA and France.

Is France in a very good place?

In sporting phrases, sure. We set up yearly in Paris Longchamp the Qatar Arc de Triomphe award, the grand finale of thoroughbreds. It’s the race that weighs probably the most, if we add the worth of the primary 4 horses, attributed by handicappers (Editor's notice: analysts) Worldwide.

Do you personal racetracks?

France Galop just isn’t at all times the proprietor however operates 5 racetracks, from Saint-Cloud (Hauts-de-Seine) in Deauville (Calvados), and three coaching facilities. For Paris Longchamp and Auteuil, properties of the Metropolis of Paris, we’ve got a lease of greater than fifty years. On these 5 racetracks, 200 racing days are organized per 12 months. We additionally work in areas, Guadeloupe, Martinique, in 142 racetracks, for a complete of 7000 races per 12 months.

How is your price range spent?

Out of a complete of round 370 million euros per 12 months, 250 million are incentives, that’s to say race costs and premiums for breeders. The remaining 120 million covers our working prices on the headquarters in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine), in racetracks and coaching facilities. There’s additionally the Equidia chain, doping controls…

It's a shrinking price range…

And the sense of historical past. Horse racing betting has decreased because the legalization of on-line betting in 2010. This pivotal 12 months marked the beginning of the explosion of the sports activities betting market, together with within the bodily distribution community. The State has allowed La Française des jeux to spice up its provide at factors of sale. There was a cannibalization impact. To offer you an concept: in 2011, horse racing betting in France was 9.6 billion euros, in 2019, 7.6 billion…

Are you reducing corners on all of your bills?

Our internet earnings has dropped by 50 million euros in eight years. France Galop should be taught to stay with much less. So there are financial savings all over the place. All sector entities, together with PMU (Editor's notice: City mutual wager), are involved by this drop in revenues, together with satellites like Equidia, which is present process a weight reduction therapy whereas persevering with to provide a top quality present. The closure of the Equidia Life chain was additionally a part of the financial savings plan. Professionals have seen their annual funding envelope drop by 25 million euros.

This additionally entails layoffs…

France Galop has gone from 480 workers in 2012 to lower than 400 immediately, primarily with departures not changed. However for the primary time in our historical past, we’ve got simply reduce 30 jobs as a part of the closing of the hippodrome in Maisons-Laffitte (Yvelines).

What are your areas of improvement?

You need to generate different earnings to be much less depending on the product of horse racing betting. We now have ticketing, common public and firms, sponsorship, day rental of our racetracks which is rising… Final 12 months, we had the Dior and Hermès style exhibits, a world conference of l'Oréal… L he ParisLongchamp racecourse, utterly renovated at our expense, is completely fitted to these massive performances.

And to draw younger individuals, what’s your technique?

Along with the Solidays, Lollapalooza and Paris Paradis (Editor's notice: organized by Le Parisien), we will speak in regards to the success of the Jeudi, which we set up throughout sunny days at Paris Longchamp. These afterworks mix horse racing and music. They appeal to younger individuals and firms that privatize our areas. Final 12 months, 62% of those 90,000 spectators tried their hand at betting. Lastly, Sundays at a gallop (Editor's notice: with free leisure) introduced 7000 youngsters accompanied by their mother and father.