The Vichy season has already been under way since early May and, with 42 meetings shared almost like for like between the two disciplines, it is one of the more important regional tracks in France. At this time of year though, the buzz is always about Vichy trotting week (3-8 July), a veritable festival of racing and cultural events, which attracts crowds and horses from all over the country.

Most people who know the meeting would agree, as would Vichy director, Philippe Bouchara, that the Vichy summer meeting is a bit special. Well-known for the quality of race on its programmes, Vichy also looks to the future on the commercial side, promoting its facilities as an ideal location for businesses to host meetings, and conferences, while increasing its visibility among tourists. The racecourse develops much of this side of the enterprise through the town’s own tourist department. 

Bouchara has a vision to be completed by 2027; he wants the racecourse to become a centre for both culture and activity, dedicated entirely to the horse. His thought is to use the current installations to build some form of equine theme park. Equi-coaching, a trotting academy, and an initiation to trotting racing, are just some of the early proposals. With 40,000 visitors to the track last year, the team can be assured continued interest.

Known for being bold in changing things when necessary, Vichy is also keen to fine-tuning its own services and programmes, entirely for the benefit of horsemen and the public alike. True to form, they repositioned the racing highlight, the Grand Prix du Conseil Municipal, which will no longer close out the meeting. Situated now on the Tuesday, it has allowed the racecourse to offer a better array of bets and stay a step ahead of its rivals.