Tim Carroll 's Bio

Tim started off as a jockey in Australia before pursuing a media career. He is a highly experienced and respected racing presenter who has been based in England since 2005. Tim has travelled the world covering many of the major meetings, including Royal Ascot, The Epsom Derby, The International meeting from Sha Tin, The Dubai World Cup, The Everest, The Saudi Cup and The Breeders. He is currently a presenter for Sky Sports Racing, specialising in both the local and international scene. Tim is a regular contributor to the At The Races Website where his twice weekly tipping column on Hong Kong racing has gathered a strong following.

ParisLongchamp Racecourse – Track Analysis (Prix Gerald de Geoffre Day):

ParisLongchamp, home to more than half of all G1 races contested in France each season, is an interlaced clockwise venue that features five different configurations, including three circuits: large (2750m), medium (2500m) and small (2150m). Together with a 1000m straight course, there is also the ‘new track’ to cater for 1400m contests, a chute that begins at the furthest point away from the stands on the right hand side, and joins the large circular main course, before taking in both the false and main straight. The track does go up and down with the highest point (back of the course on the right-hand side) – the “Boulogne” section, where horses indeed “disappear” briefly from the grandstand into the woods – being nearly 30 metres above the lowest point (bottom of the course right-hand side).

All three circular courses join the main straight, with two winning posts in use, depending on the race distance. The straight-course dissects the large and medium circular tracks before joining the back straight of the small circular track in the centre of the course. They run the straight races right to left as viewed, the same as they do at Sha Tin over 1000m.

Four turf races from Prix Gerald de Geoffre Day will be simulcasted to Hong Kong.

For the 2400m Class 2 Handicap, the start is from the left-hand side of the track. They jump from a short spur just off the small course and cross that track twice before entering a lengthy back straight, which leads onto a bend. The nature of the track layout lends itself to horses that are ridden to conserve energy and delivered with patience. Barriers are of little importance in smaller fields, but in larger fields, results suggest horses drawn middle to low have an advantage.

For the 2100m Listed Prix de Liancourt, the start is from the far side of the track on the Grande (large) course. On leaving the barriers they have a straight, but uphill run for approximately 700m before arriving at the highest point of the track near the 1400m chute (new track) whilst turning onto the sweeping home bend. This leads onto the false straight then onto the home straight for the uphill run home. There is no barrier bias over this trip.

For the 1600m Listed Prix de la Cochere, the start is situated approximately halfway down the back straight, and runners have a relatively short run to a sweeping bend that heads downhill, where they then bottom out before taking in both the false and home straight, which has a slight but testing uphill run to the finish. There is a barrier bias to horses that are drawn low in larger fields. This is predominately due to the short run to the first bend.

The feature race, G3 Prix Gerald de Geoffre, the 3000m start sees no draw bias as it is from toward the top of the home straight on the Grande (large) course of which they then do a full lap. They have a nice long run before the first bend, which comes up just after the winning post. That bend takes them onto a lengthy back straight, which leads onto a large sweeping bend that heads downhill and onto what is known as the ‘false straight’ before a slight turn, which leads into the main straight and an uphill testing run of nearly 600m. Staying races are often run at a moderate gallop in France, and riders on back-markers need to make sure they don’t allow the leaders to get too far away, especially in larger fields.

The weather forecast suggests that it will be mostly clear weather in the week leading up and on race day itself. If the forecast is correct, there is a strong possibility that there will be good in the description this year.

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