Fontainebleau is located 55 kilometres to the south-southeast of Paris. It is well known for its beautiful chateau, once the home of the Kings of France, and its large and scenic forest. In the 1924 Olympics, it held the riding portion of the modern pentathlon event.

The racecourse holds meetings over jumps and the flat from February to June and September to November. Independently managed by the racing society of Fontainebleau, it is spread over 55 hectares and surrounded by forest.

Top-class racing is held there every year, while several well-known horses have also made their debuts on this left-handed track, including subsequent Newmarket 2,000 Guineas winner Makfi in 2010. It is also conveniently located, especially for Chantilly and Maisons-Laffitte based trainers.

Number of meetings: 20

Biggest events: Grand Prix de Fontainebleau (L), Prix Maurice Caillault (L), Prix Cor de Chasse (L)

History: Also known as the Hippodrome de la Solle, Fontainebleau racecourse is one of the oldest in France. Under the reign of Louis XVI, the first races were organised in 1776 by the Dukes of Artois and Chartres for the King, who had come to hunt.

The first meetings took place on the site of the current racetrack in 1862, with the first ever 2,400 metre track in France being constructed, together with the stands. This was unveiled before the Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Josephine and a crowd of 30,000 people, of which 4,000 had come from Paris by train.