ParisLongchamp Ready For Unveiling

France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild | Scoop Dyga

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PARIS, France–“For those who love racing, ParisLongchamp is a dream come true. And for those who are discovering racing, it is a modern, elegant, trendy, new location. A place to go for a breath of fresh air, for walks, for a bite to eat or for music, to listen, discover and admire.”

Such is the foreword signed by Edouard de Rothschild, president of France Galop and therefore the man in charge of French racing, to explain what lies behind the opening of a much-awaited flagship.

Around 200 people attended a press conference on Thursday morning held on the racecourse that will reopen its doors for racing on Apr. 8 and welcome the world at large on grand opening day three weeks later. (Click here for a recent TDN Q&A with France Galop's General Manager Olivier Delloye)

The marketing and promoting of ParisLongchamp is now in full-steam mode.

“For all of us in racing, the Longchamp racecourse is as Parisian as the Eiffel Tower,” explained Edouard de Rothschild. “Racing fans know that Churchill Downs is in Lousiville, that Epsom is very close to London. However, many people out there don't know that Longchamp is the main racecourse in Paris. We wanted to correct that by associating the name of our flagship with that of one of the most famous, most loved and most visited cities in the world. It is a symbol of a grander scheme, that is to open our flagship location to everyone, not just racing people 34 times a year.”

More than an introduction to the return of France's best racing to its Parisian home, the press conference was concentrating on the alternative attractions that ParisLongchamp will host on racing days and non-racing days–that is, 330 days a year.

Along with the France Galop president himself, the new racecourse's architect Dominique Perrault, and its “entertainer-en-chef”, Laurent de Gourcuff, shared their visions for the new site.

Gourcuff's company Noctis, a French leader in entertainment specialising in high-end festive events and trendy catering, will manage the two main restaurants of the course. The ParisLongchamp brasserie, situated next to the paddock, will offer “a choice of well-known classics of French gastronomy at affordable prices.” It will remain open year-round.

The 500m2 rooftop restaurant that offers dramatic views across the treetops of the Bois de Boulogne and the skyline of the La Defense business quarter, however, will be open for private events on a few occasions only. Up-and-coming chef Jean Imbert's presence will be the highlight of culinary events.

“Seduced by the view and the location, the young chef decided to come here for the summer,” said Noctis. “He puts the emphasis on France and its gastronomic heritage and invites gourmets to come and try exquisite dishes, specially created for this absolutely unique location in Paris.”

Thursday nights at ParisLongchamp between May and July will become the “Jeuxdi by ParisLongchamp” nights, “events that mix evening racing with an after-work music festival,” while the Paris Summer Stage held at ParisLongchamp “will become the focus of current artists who enjoy performing in this unique open-air concert hall that can accommodate 3,000 people. Several times during the year ParisLongchamp will organise social evenings featuring a selection of concerts, DJs, themed evenings, open-air cinema–and there are many bars to entertain music lovers and star gazers long into the night.”

General manager of France Galop, Olivier Delloye, also introduced a new webapp dedicated to ParisLongchamp, helping racegoers, either newcomers or dedicated racing fans, to find their way around and get more from their experience on the track.

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