The Deauville racecourse would have liked to have opened up to a larger number of visitors for the weekend of August 15, the sporting summit of its summer meeting. “We asked for an exemption at the start of the week to be able to exceed the 5,000-person mark,” announces Franck Le Mestre. But the request was not answered. And, faced with the deterioration of health, the probability of an authorization is almost zero. "The situation is evolving in the wrong direction," lamented Prime Minister Jean Castex last Tuesday, who extended the limit to 5,000 people for gatherings until October 30.
"3,700 people last Sunday"
It is in anticipation of the enticing program on the Touques piste this weekend that the site director would have liked to have more comfortable leeway. Seventeen races will be contested during these two days, including the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano on Saturday and the Prix Jacques Le Marois on Sunday. With the presence of champions like Mishriff, Sottsass or Persian King, these international level group events attract foreign riders but also a regional audience. And the spectators quickly found their way to the stands of Deauville, whose meeting will run until August 30. "We reached a peak of 3,700 people last Sunday, including professionals," said the manager.
"An update on attendance every half hour"
To control the influx of visitors, while respecting government directives, the counting system in force since July 11 (date of reopening of racetracks to the public) will be carried out with precision, as will the monitoring of the wearing of the compulsory mask. “Unlike a football match, where the stadium doors close at the first whistle, our speakers remain open from the start to the end of the meeting. The races are a continuous spectacle. We therefore record each entry and each exit throughout the day with a check-up on attendance every half hour, ”explains Franck Le Mestre. This vigilance is all the more crucial given that, according to Météo France forecasts, rain is expected on Sunday on the Côte Fleurie, which could have a silt effect communicating between the beach and the racecourse, where holidaymakers will come to retreat.
Frankie Dettori will be there
All these parameters, heralding a large crowd on the Norman racecourse, could be offset by the quarantine imposed by London for all passengers from France. A decision that does not delight the organizers. Franck Le Mestre expects that “this measure will slow down some Britons, who are usually very present”.
In the tonnage maintained at 5,000 people, including visitors and professionals, Frankie Dettori, the most English of Italian jockeys, has confirmed his arrival to our colleagues at Jour de Galop. By favoring Deauville to Great Britain, where major deadlines are looming in the days to come, the star of the jockeys proves that the importance of this Norman weekend.