“30 ° C. Hello everyone. »The bulletin board, opposite the tribune of the Chartres racecourse, functions as if nothing had happened, this Wednesday, May 20. A summer sun shines in the sky on the eve of the Ascension. The conditions seem ideal for bringing together the turfers. However, the tribune is almost deserted. And the special atmosphere.
“It’s sad but it’s the price to pay to be able to organize races”
Jean-Luc Thirouin (President of the Chartres Horse Racing Society)
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The nine races of this first premium meeting of 2020 are broadcast on television, but take place behind closed doors, a coronavirus health crisis requires. “Only drivers and coaches have access. It is sad but it is the price to pay to be able to organize races ”, notes, behind his mask, Jean-Luc Thirouin, the president of the Chartres horse racing society.
Races will resume on May 20 at the Chartres racetrack, but the camera will be closed
For driver Alain Laurent, who came from the Paris region, this race is not a repeat: “I have already run since the start of the season. We must thank the companies and volunteers who allow these races to take place, otherwise it would be complicated. For him, these closed-door races do not change anything. “We are focused, we never hear the public anyway. “
La Capelle races will be in Chartres on Sunday
What changes, however, is all the logistics within the racetrack: taking the temperature at the entrance to the site, traffic direction, more betting stands, closed boxes … But also new races on the calendar. Some, unable to stand in the red areas of the deconfinement map, are relocated.
Map of France for deconfinement: Eure-et-Loir goes green, Yvelines stays in red
This is the case as of this Sunday, May 24, in principle from 1:30 p.m., as Jean-Luc Thirouin announces: “We will welcome the races that were to be held in La Capelle behind closed doors (Aisne), it’s official. And we will have other meetings like this. “
Turfists outside
Behind the gates, by the side of the road, a dozen or so turfists have found a solution to attend the races. Jean-Luc and Sylvie, binoculars and notes in hand, watch the races. “Usually, we are in the gallery, it’s weird to be here. These Eurelians took bets the same morning, and came near the racetrack. “We don’t see the finish, but we watch it on our phones, even if it is a few minutes late. ”
Inside the racetrack, there is silence. No encouragement, or even a speaker. And nobody really knows when the stands will find their audience.
Jérémy truant
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