Hippodrome de Maisons-Laffitte

Description:

• The first training track was created by the Comte D Artois in 1777 in the meadows along the Seine. Then in 1833, Jacques Laffitte organized the first horse races of the town. He wished to create an important training center like the one in Newmarket, England. In 1850, Joseph Oller bought those fields and tracks and built real racetracks. At the end of the 19th Century, the place was developed with large stands. At the same time, stables for racehorses were built, trainers settled in, and a sand training track was laid out. Today, Maisons-Laffitte racetrack is the largest track in the Parisian area. It has one of the longest straight tracks in Europe (2000 meters/656 feet).
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