Les Sables d’Olonne Tips and Racecourse Guide
Les Sables d’Olonne is a popular racecourse in the Vendee region of Western France that hosts racing over flat, jumps and trotting.
Les Sables d’Olonne is a relatively new racecourse having opened its gates in 1968, but has its roots in beach racing which began back in 1854. The turf course is a seven and a half furlong circuit and tends to be frequented by trainers from the Western regions such as Henri-Alex Pantall.
The town is popular with tourists who have been able to take trains to reach the glorious sandy beaches from cities such as Tours for many years. The racing is quite provincial and the town is better known for being the starting and finishing point of the Vendee Globe yacht race, which takes place every four years.
Les Sables d’Olonne Tips
French Racing Tips – 12/06
The opening handicap at Les Sables D’Olonne is a low-grade affair, in which it is worth chancing a return to form at a massive price for Al Rassoul.
The seven year old won this race in 2020 under today’s rider Fabrice Veron, who has won three times on him and gets the ride since Deauville four starts ago.
That front-running win came off a 2kg higher mark and he won handicaps at Pau, Mont-de-Marsan and Angers last year off 20.5, 22.5 and 21, so this mark of 17 is well within his compass.
His wins have come in headgear, so the fact the cheekpieces worn at Angers last October return today, having been left off last time, is encouraging. With a win and a short-head second from three starts here, he clearly likes the track, and a return to front-running tactics surely awaits after being held up at Fontainebleau last time.
Local trainer Patrick Nicot will presumably have targeted this race again and while we have to take the chance that Al Rassoul will return to form, there were positives to take from his run at Le Mans two starts back, where he travelled very well into the straight before fading.
3.07pm Les Sables D’Olonne – 1pt win Al Rassoul @ 33-1 (all firms, including William Hill)
Les Sables d’Olonne Top Trainers (2021)
1. Christophe Plisson 2 wins (100%)
2. Alain De Royer Dupre 2 wins (50%)
3. Mathieu Brasme 2 wins (50%)
4. Alain Couetil 2 wins (29%)
5. Etienne and Gregoire Leenders 1 win (20%)
Les Sables d’Olonne Top Jockeys (2021)
1. Alexandre Roussel 4 wins (25%)
2. Mathieu Androuin 3 wins (23%)
3. Laura Poggionovo 2 wins (40%)
4. Fabrice Veron 2 wins (29%)
5. Arnaud Bourgeais 2 wins (15%)
How to get there
Train
Les Sable is two hours from Angers by TGV or just over one hour from Nantes on the same line.
Les Sables d’Olonne Top Races
Flat
Prix Joseph Kerbiriou
Prix du Credit Mutuel
Prix Colins
Prix Rene Bizard
Prix Popof
Prix Altesse V
Les Sables d’Olonne Map
Les Sables d’Olonne Tips Archives
French Racing Tips
Though she has a good bit to find at the weights, Soyose looks overpriced in the claimer at Les Sables-d'Olonne this afternoon (4.37pm) and is worth chancing. Her form so far this year had been very weak, until finishing second in a similarly weak claimer at La...
