ChristianRLeech

They are closing some racecourses, but the races are not disappearing. They are simply being moved to bigger tracks, and the prize money remains unchanged. In France, there are a huge number of local races — known as PMH races — on which, until now, you could only bet at the racecourse itself. By moving them to bigger tracks, the aim is to attract more runners and make these races available for online betting. This has angered many people in the industry, particularly, though not exclusively, those involved in grassroots racing. The context is very different: France has around 230 racecourses, despite having a much smaller racehorse population, compared with around 60 in the UK. The number of owners in France has increased in recent years, as prize money makes owning a share in a horse affordable for middle-class people. And around a third of French racehorses are also owned, at least partly, by their trainers, also thanks for good prize money for lesser horses. The problem is the lack of “real” owners who can afford to have a couple of horses in training outright, rather than just owning shares. And also the lack of players at the top level as breeders and owners - with the money to compete - compared to IE/GB. That's also why so many French NH horses are for sale: that's a racing nation of small breeders and small owners.