Travelling to Longchamp? Then don't miss Wayne Bailey's essential Paris advice!

General / Wayne Bailey / 01 October 2009 / Leave a Comment

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is the richest race in Europe

“One of the biggest mistakes British and Irish punters make each year is to only concentrate on horses trained in those countries.”

From betting on the Pari-Mutuel to tips on dress code, Mr Bailey has plenty of pointers for Paris

The Arc is one of my favourite meetings of the year - indeed, it's Europe's richest race and attracts the best middle-distance horses in the world. Many all-time greats have met an ignominious fate at the tricky Paris venue and it takes special horses to win the big one; horses like Sea The Stars hopefully.

If you've never been, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It's a great way to kill two birds with the one stone - the missus will love a trip to the city of love; while you get to watch great racing. It's a win-win situation!

If you're going for the first time, here's a little bit of advice that may save you a few quid...

Do - book your flights and hotel early
If you're going this Sunday, hopefully you've already sorted out flights and accommodation by now; but last year, I got a cracking deal by booking our trip around January. The flights to Charles de Gaulle (which, unlike the other airport, is actually in Paris) cost me less than a ton for myself and the missus and I got a great deal on the hotel. Don't forget that thousands of British and Irish racing fans will be descending on the city and most of those will be booking a month or two beforehand when prices are often hiked up.

Don't - book admission tickets online
It's as cheap as chips to get into Longchamp racecourse - I ended up getting private enclosure tickets outside for a mere €4. It's doesn't sell out and you will get in. However, I heard some stories of people buying both fake and genuine tickets at hugely inflated prices on the internet amid claims that the race had sold out. Don't believe a word of it - you can pay in at the gate and it probably won't be as busy this year anyway with many people cutting back on spending.

Do - bring a tie
As mentioned, I got some myself some fancy tickets but as we swaggered towards the enclosure, the bouncer informed me that a tie was required. I was reasonably dressed with nice shoes, trousers, shirt and smart jacket - but that wasn't good enough and we had to remain in the general area with 'ordinary' people. Oh the shame!
Now, I've been to the worst racecourses in bally-go-backwards and beyond - so it didn't bother me and the 'ordinary' areas were very nice indeed; but I could see the disappointment on my wife's face. They do actually sell ties there - but they are not of the Tesco value variety and cost about €90 each.
If you have a member of the fairer sex with you, tell her to bring the little headpiece she has at home tucked away in the cupboard - my wife forgot hers so I had to buy one at the course. She spotted a beautiful pink headset in the shape of a rose for €150. Bargain eh?

Don't - buy the racecards on sale outside
Well, when I say 'racecards', I really mean photocopied yellow sheets written in French. Some lucky Brits were walking around with the Racing Post under their arm but I had nothing so was cajoled into buying said sheet outside. Strangely, it was like some sort of drug deal with the seller looking around anxiously as we settled the deal at €2. "Many winners for you" he said, as he handed me the sheet and scurried off into the crowd. He lied.
There were some official racecards available inside but I like familiarity - so my advice would be to get up early and find a computer with a printer. I later found out that a stall had been selling the RP, but they were gone in a flash.

Do - place some bets before you go
At one time, the Pari Mutuel offered good value on the British and Irish horses but I think those days are pretty much gone. Remember, there are no on-course bookies at Longchamp so all of your betting must be done with their version of the tote. I'm not a big fan of pool betting and I must admit that the place had less character without the layers, even though there was more space to walk around in front of the track. For the big races, there were huge queues to get on, and I was glad I had placed most of my bets on the machine before I left the hotel.

Don't - ignore the other European horses
One of the biggest mistakes British and Irish punters make each year is to only concentrate on horses trained in those countries. I've said it before and I'll say it again - patriotic punting is a quick way to the poorhouse. I wish I'd followed my own advice last year as I put way too much money on Mastercraftsman in the Prix Jean-luc Lagardere at [1.6], in the belief that he couldn't be beaten. That belief was compounded by generous servings of Châteauneuf-du-Pape; and by the time the race came around, I had convinced myself that the horse was invincible. He came fourth.
In truth, I had barely checked the form of the winner Naaqoos and I kicked myself afterwards for wasting my money. Fair enough, Sea The Stars could be an exception but in the other races, study the runners just as you would in any British or Irish meeting.

Best of luck with your Longchamp betting!

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