Lion d’Angers is a picturesque town situated in the Maine-et-Loire department where the Oudon and Mayenne rivers meet. At the confluence, the middle land in the middle is known as L’Isle Briand, where the racecourse and National Stud are located, while the town is on the other side.

This left-handed racecourse is just 35km south east of Craon, and is known for holding the longest jumps race in the world, the Crystal Cup Anjou-Loire Challenge. Flat racing and trotting also take place here.

Number of meetings: 13

Biggest events: Prix Anjou-Loire Challenge (Listed, cross-country), Prix Kauto Star (Listed, steeple-chase), Prix Urban Sea (Listed)

History:

The Anjou-Loire Challenge was created back in 2005 by the racecourse society of Le Lion d’Angers under its President Alain Peltier. Lion d’Angers’s history however dates back to 1874 when the first races were chronicled. These included trotting and thoroughbred races, which signalled the start of the scenic racecourse’s history.

Lion d’Angers’s most important flat race is the Listed Prix Urban Sea, renamed after the winner of the 1993 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe that won a Listed race at the track three months before her biggest career victory. Today, she is notably the dam of the sire of all sires, Galileo as well as Sea The Stars.