Prix d’Amerique Day at Vincennes delivered the festive atmosphere organizers had hoped for, but the ongoing decline in France’s horse‑racing betting market overshadowed the celebration.
The grandstands were packed, with a noticeable influx of younger spectators, many attending a harness race for the first time. Much of that interest was driven by the hugely popular French rapper and singer Gims, who performed during an early intermission. A technical failure cut his show short when a power converter malfunctioned, but he carried on a cappella and had the crowd singing along.
Despite the hiccup, fans stayed on the track well past the main event at 4:20 p.m., and Vincennes once again delivered a polished show that many considered well worth the €30 (about $33) admission price.
Attendance numbers were strong: 11,000 spectators on Saturday and more than 30,000 on Sunday, with a total of 55,000 visitors over the three days of events.
But while the crowds are there, the betting isn’t keeping pace. Wagering on the Prix d’Amerique itself dropped 10.7 percent compared to last year.
The Quinté+, France’s most popular betting format, fared slightly better but still fell 4.7 percent. Online betting – kept in separate pools due to French law – also slipped by 2 percent to €2.09 million.
Industry voices continue to argue that allowing online wagers to merge with the main betting pools would boost overall turnover.
Total handle for the day came in just under €27 million, down from €27.8 million a year earlier.