In our third trainee blog, Gabrielle Nebout, from the 22nd Godolphin Flying Start class (2024-2026), considers the different ways that the French racing industry should be trying to bring its audience closer to the action.
When I first got involved in racing, I quickly realised that it was unlike any other sport. Every race tells a story, whether it is that of an owner chasing a dream, a breeder hoping to validate a mating decision, or a trainer and stable staff seeing months of hard work come to fruition.
Over the past two years on the Godolphin Flying Start programme, I have been fortunate to experience racing in several countries and across different sectors of the industry. As a result, I now find myself looking at French racing with fresh eyes, as I have been placed with the Francis Graffard yard for the past four weeks.
This year's Prix du Jockey Club was the first time I experienced the French Derby live, at the racecourse. Standing at Chantilly as the runners made their way to the start, I couldn't help but think about what was at stake.
As someone involved in racing, you know what this race means. Among those runners could be the next great stallion. The horse breeders will talk about it for decades. A colt whose name could one day appear in sale catalogues and pedigrees for generations to come.
This is one of the defining moments of the French racing calendar. The race that owners, breeders and trainers dream of winning. It attracts challengers from Britain and Ireland and brings together some of the best three-year-olds in Europe.
Yet somehow, standing there, it didn't feel like the monumental occasion it should have been.
Not because the horses weren't exceptional. Not because the racing wasn't competitive. But because the atmosphere didn't seem to match the significance of the event.
That feeling stayed with me long after the winner crossed the line. It made me reflect on something I have observed repeatedly during my time on the programme. French racing has extraordinary assets: world-class horses, historic racecourses, prestigious races and an internationally respected breeding industry. Yet we sometimes make it surprisingly difficult for people to connect with them.
If I ruled French racing for a day, I would start there.
A few days before the Prix du Jockey Club, I remember two young women standing by the parade ring at Longchamp asking whether the race would actually take place there. They were curious, they wanted to understand and they had made the effort to come. Yet somehow, we didn't manage to explain to them what they were looking at.
That conversation stayed with me because it highlights a challenge racing faces more broadly. We often assume people understand the sport because we do. But for many visitors, especially those discovering racing for the first time, much of what makes it fascinating remains invisible.
When people walk through the gates on a day like the Prix du Jockey Club, they should immediately feel that they are attending one of the biggest sporting events in France. Instead, the atmosphere can sometimes feel quieter than the occasion deserves.
The challenge is also different depending on who is attending. Families, younger racegoers and industry professionals all come to the racecourse for different reasons. Families need activities that keep children engaged while remaining connected to the racing. Younger visitors often want places to socialise and enjoy the day with friends. Industry participants want opportunities to network and do business, but to also enjoy the day. The best events find a way to cater to all three.
I would be more ambitious about that. Not in a way that distracts from the racing, but in a way that enhances it. For instance, why not create social spaces where people genuinely want to spend their afternoon, by working with lifestyle brands and sponsors to create experiences around the racecourse? An Aperol bar overlooking closer to the final straight might sound like a minor detail, but it creates a destination, a place where people gather, socialise and remain engaged between races. Bring families closer to the action rather than positioning activities on the edge of the site. Make the whole racecourse feel alive.
Of course, the horses should remain the stars, as they are racing's greatest asset. Yet we often make it surprisingly difficult for people to connect with one.
One of the things that struck me during my time on the Godolphin Flying Start programme was how other racing jurisdictions treat the moments before the race as part of the show. In Australia, visitors are given access to stable areas that create a genuine sense of involvement. Not unrestricted access, but enough to feel the preparation and the anticipation.
In France, many of those moments remain hidden unless you are already part of the industry. The saddling-up process, for example, is often invisible to the people who have paid to be there. Opening more doors, even slightly and with all the necessary safeguards, would give the public a greater sense of access and connection. Because the more people understand about horses, the more they care about them. And the more they care, the more likely they are to come back.
This leads to another point, because I think it is where racing is genuinely leaving something on the table. Imagine attending the Prix du Jockey Club and leaving with a favourite horse. You were drawn to the way he moved in the parade ring. You cheered for him in the straight. You want to know what comes next.
Where is he going next? Campaigning internationally? What does his pedigree tell us about where he might be heading? Right now, answering those questions requires real effort. You need to know where to look, understand how the calendar works and find the right tools. Most people simply do not bother. They leave, and the connection is lost.
Every other sport has solved this problem. Formula 1 tells you when and where the next race is. Football gives you the next fixture before the final whistle has blown. Racing often just says: see you next Sunday.
France Galop already has much of the infrastructure. The “follow this horse” feature already exists. The challenge is making it visible and accessible. Imagine QR codes in the parade ring, on racecards and around the racecourse linking directly to a horse's profile, upcoming entries and connections. A racegoer could follow a horse in seconds and receive a notification the next time it runs. Nothing revolutionary. Just a simple way of keeping people connected to the story after the gates close.
One of the privileges of the Godolphin Flying Start programme is seeing how different racing jurisdictions approach similar challenges. In Kentucky, Horse Country has opened the doors of breeding farms and training facilities to the public. In Australia, the Magic Millions Carnival has transformed a yearling sale into a broader experience where the sales, racing and social elements all work together. Even the barrier draw on the beach creates images and stories that travel far beyond the racing media.
French racing does not need to copy any of those ideas. But they all recognise something that we sometimes forget: people often fall in love with an experience before they fall in love with an industry.
Tradition and renewal are often presented as opposites. I do not see them that way. If I ruled French racing for a day, I would not seek to reinvent it. I would seek to showcase it in the way it deserves.
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