Two worlds, one playing field
When you talk about horse racing in France, you are really talking about two radically different disciplines. Flat racing and trotting share racecourses, punters and a passion for horses, but everything else diverges: the breeds, the rules, the budgets, the prize money, the culture. And for a prospective owner weighing up the two, the choice is far from trivial.
We are going to lay it out clearly. No unnecessary jargon, no spin. Just what you need to know to make an informed decision.
A bit of history: how France became a two-discipline nation
France is the only major racing country to have developed both disciplines to such a high standard. In England, trotting barely exists. In the United States, flat racing and trotting coexist but in very separate spheres. Here, the two live under the same institutional roof, funded by the same pari-mutuel betting system.
Flat racing was formalised in the 19th century under aristocratic patronage, with the creation of the Jockey Club in 1833 and France Galop as the regulatory authority. The model came directly from England: Longchamp, Chantilly, Deauville — the entire ecosystem was built around the Thoroughbred.
Trotting has more rural, more distinctly French roots. The Societe d’Encouragement du Cheval Francais was founded in 1864, and Le Trot now governs the discipline with its signature breed: the French Trotter. Vincennes is to trotting what Longchamp is to flat racing — a temple.
The types of racing: flat, jumps and trotting
Flat and jumps
Three distinct categories:
Flat racing. The premier discipline. Horses at full speed over distances from 1,000 to 4,000 metres, with no obstacles. The vast majority of races under France Galop rules are on the flat, and this is where you find the biggest budgets, the most high-profile sales and the highest stakes.
Hurdles. The horse must clear flexible obstacles (hurdles) over distances of 3,000 to 5,500 metres. It is often a second career for flat horses that did not reach Group level but have stamina and courage.
Steeplechase. The tough version of jump racing. Fixed obstacles, sometimes imposing (the famous rail-ditch-and-fence at Auteuil), over long distances. It is spectacular and demanding. Horses tend to have longer careers in steeplechasing than on the flat.
Trotting
Two variants:
Harness trotting. The driver sits in a sulky, a small two-wheeled cart pulled by the horse. This is the most common form of trotting, the one you will see at Vincennes. The horse must maintain the trotting gait at all times: if it breaks into a gallop (called a “break”), it is disqualified.
Ridden trotting (trot monte). The jockey rides in the saddle, as in flat racing, but the horse must trot. This is an almost exclusively French speciality, virtually unique in the world. Purists love it; newcomers find it strange at first. The mechanics are completely different from a gallop: the jockey follows the diagonal movement of the trot.
The big races: two calendars, two legends
Flat classics
The absolute pinnacle is the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in early October. It is the richest flat race in Europe, with a purse of around EUR 5 million. Everybody dreams of it. The Prix du Jockey Club (the French equivalent of the English Derby) is run at Chantilly in June. Then there is the Prix de Diane for fillies, the Poules d’Essai in spring, the Grand Prix de Paris…
In jump racing, the Grand Steeple-Chase de Paris at Auteuil is the ultimate reference. 5,800 metres, 23 fences. A monument.
Trotting classics
The Prix d’Amerique, in late January at Vincennes, is the Holy Grail of world trotting. Nothing less. The best trotters on the planet meet over 2,700 metres, and France wins almost every year. The Prix de Cornulier is the ridden trotting equivalent. And the Criterium des Jeunes launches the three-year-old season.
The numbers that matter: volume, budget, prize money
This is where things get concrete.
Volume of races
Trotting stages around 11,000 races per year in France. Flat racing runs approximately 4,000 races. Three times fewer. What does that mean in practice? A trotter will statistically have more opportunities to race, more frequently, at more racecourses. A flat horse runs on average 6 to 10 times a year. A trotter can easily exceed 15 starts per year.
Annual budget
For a flat racehorse in training, budget approximately EUR 30,000 per year in full livery with a trainer (farrier, vet, work rider included). Some top trainers in Chantilly are more expensive. For a trotter, the figure is more like EUR 18,000 to EUR 22,000 per year. The gap comes mainly from stable structures and location. For full details on costs, check our FAQ which breaks down budgets by discipline.
Prize money potential
Flat racing offers higher individual payouts. A Listed win can return EUR 30,000 to the owner. In Group 3, you are looking at EUR 50,000-80,000. In Group 1, it is six figures minimum. But competition is fierce, and many horses never win at all.
In trotting, race-by-race prize money is more modest (often EUR 5,000 to EUR 15,000 for a provincial win), but volume compensates. A decent trotter that places regularly can generate EUR 30,000 to EUR 50,000 in annual prize money without ever starring in the big events.
The IFCE publishes detailed annual statistics on the economic performance of both sectors. It is a useful read before committing.
Famous horses: legends of both worlds
On the flat, France has produced some extraordinary champions. Treve, dual Arc winner (2013-2014), remains in every racing fan’s memory. Zarkava, unbeaten and spectacular. Frankel (English, admittedly) redefined what “domination” means on the flat. And in French jump racing, Doumen and Al Capone II marked entire generations.
In trotting, the names resonate differently but with equal force. Ourasi, four-time winner of the Prix d’Amerique (1986-1988, 1990): nobody had ever done it before, nobody has done it since. Bellino II, Ideal du Gazeau, Bold Eagle… and more recently Face Time Bourbon, who carried French trotting to the summit with remarkable consistency.
Flat or trotting: which to choose as a beginner?
This is the question we get asked most often at TS Bloodstock. And the answer depends on what you are looking for.
Choose trotting if:
- Your budget is tight (lower training fees, horses often cheaper to buy)
- You want your horse to race frequently (15-20 times a year is realistic)
- You value accessibility: trotting trainers tend to be more open to small owners
- You want a more predictable return on investment (not spectacular, but steady)
Choose flat racing if:
- You dream of the big races, of Longchamp, Chantilly, Deauville
- You are prepared to invest more for a chance at higher rewards
- Resale value at the end of the horse’s career matters to you (a well-bred flat horse has residual breeding value, particularly the fillies)
- You want to experience the sales at Arqana — the atmosphere is unique
What about shares?
A solution that works in both disciplines: buying shares. 5%, 10%, 20% of a horse. You split the budget, share training costs, and live the same emotions on race day. In flat racing, it has become very common. In trotting, it is growing fast. It is often the best way to discover ownership without taking an outsized risk.
The real deciding factor: your enjoyment
An owner of a trotter who gets up at five in the morning to watch their horse work on the Grosbois training track has a radically different experience from the one following their Thoroughbred on the Deauville turf in August. Both are wonderful. Both are addictive. Both cost money.
The question is not “flat or trotting?” in the abstract. It is “what gets your pulse racing?”. If you do not know yet, spend a Tuesday morning in Chantilly and a Sunday morning at Vincennes. You will have your answer.
And if you want a personalised view based on your budget, goals and temperament, that is exactly what we do at TS Bloodstock. A buying advisory always starts with that conversation.
Summary
| Criteria | Flat Racing | Trotting |
|---|---|---|
| Races per year in France | ~4,000 | ~11,000 |
| Annual budget (100% ownership) | ~EUR 30,000 | ~EUR 20,000 |
| Average win prize money | EUR 15,000 - 100,000+ | EUR 5,000 - 25,000 |
| Starts per horse/year | 6-10 | 12-20 |
| Premier race | Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe | Prix d’Amerique |
| Breeding resale value | High (mares) | Moderate |
| Beginner accessibility | Medium | Good |
Both disciplines have their strengths. Flat racing shines through its prestige and its peaks. Trotting appeals through its accessibility and regularity. In both cases, good guidance makes all the difference. Check our FAQ for the most frequently asked questions, or get in touch directly to discuss.