Racing takes action with temperatures in France set to exceed 40C

The heatwave gripping France has forced racing professionals and officials to take precautionary measures to keep the show on the road.

France has been dealing with the biggest heatwave to hit the country since 2003, when about 15,000 people died due to the extreme temperatures.

Schools have closed and an orange weather warning – one step down from the highest level, red – is in place with temperatures expected to exceed 40C and potentially reach 45C in parts of the country.

Racing at Auteuil was cancelled on Tuesday, with the fixture rescheduled for next week, and cooling measures are in place for the meetings at Longchamp on Thursday and Saint-Cloud, which hosts the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, on Sunday.

In Chantilly, France’s major training centre just north of Paris, trainers have been taking their strings out earlier than usual and making sure they are kept cool during the day.

Arc-winning trainer John Hammond said: “You have to go out a little earlier but we have a good bit of air here in Chantilly. We shower the horses in the morning and again in the evening to keep them cool.

“They didn’t run on Tuesday at Auteuil, which was sensible as it was jump racing, but the temperature is due to drop on Sunday for the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. I think it’s something like 6C cooler on Sunday compared to Saturday, so that’s going to make a difference.”

Trainer Christophe Ferland, who masterminded the careers of Group 1 winners Dabirsim and Indonesienne, is used to hot weather at his base at La Teste de Buch in the south-west of France.

“We’ve been taking the horses out a little earlier, before 6am, and have been going out for a little less than an hour when it's quite nice and fresh,” he said. “We work the horses a little slower and we shower them when they're done. The heat is coming between 11 and 12 o’clock each day and it’s only 38 degrees – we're used to it here in the south-west.

“It's important not to take them out only when it's very fresh as they won't be used to the heat in the races. It hasn’t stopped us running, but we think about how far the horses have to travel and when they will travel.”

Christophe Ferland: used to the heat at his base in south-west FranceCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Travel is at the forefront of the minds of those involved in Headman, who is set to be one of a number of British runners at Saint-Cloud in Paris on Sunday.

The three-year-old is due to contest the Group 2 Prix Eugene Adam and Harry Charlton, assistant to his father Roger, said: “We’ll be thinking about the best time to travel. We’ll keep the horses hydrated as best we can and use things like fans too.

“Last year we were going through the heatwave in Britain and I remember we travelled Withhold up to York on the Friday and stayed overnight before then going to Newcastle for the Northumberland Plate the following day. Things like that to keep horses cool is what you do.”

Additional water points, misting machines and buckets will be on hand at Longchamp on Thursday evening and at Saint-Cloud, which is being watered each day until Saturday, for Sunday’s fixture, according to France Galop.

Stephane Pasquier is one of the riders in action at Longchamp on Thursday and said: "It's going to be very hot for us and the horses but we'll be okay and carry on with it. For me, it's actually not too bad as I love the hot weather."

Temperatures, supercharged by hot air from Africa, are due to peak on Saturday before cooling slightly on Sunday.

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