It is the centre of jump racing in France and where the nine Group 1 hurdle and steeple chase races that take place on French soil are held. Located on the metro line 10 (Porte d’Auteuil), Auteuil racecourse is a perfectly manicured 33-hectare site set in the leafy 16th arrondissement. On a sunny spring day, and with its views of the Eiffel Tower, it is a delightful way to spend a quintessential Parisian afternoon.

I walked there from my base in rue Jean-de-La-Fontaine, but it was close to the Metro too, for those coming by public transport. I’d bought my ticket in advance and it only costs 5 Euros, which seemed incredibly cheap compared to Kempton, which is my local course in England.

The entrance is unassuming, and after a long walk along a series of tunnels I popped up the in faded splendour of Auteuil racecourse. It wasn’t busy and there was a small bar and a few food stalls to service the modest crowd. There was plenty of space to sit in the stands or watch beside the track. I enjoyed watching the drama unfold with the beautiful vista of the Eiffel Tower in the background.

I loved the parade ring, with the handsome thoroughbreds dancing under the horse chestnuts. It was a scene that hasn’t really changed for 150 years, I was probably standing where painters like Raoul Dufy and Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec had worked all those years before. The dappled greys in the dappled light were just so graceful. I did the drawing below.

Betting wasn’t entirely straightforward but in the end I got the hang of the little betting machines which are the located in the main grandstand, opposite the parade ring. The minimum bet is 2 Euros. It was a much longer day than I was used to, with 9 competitive races. You pick up a big sheet in one of the tunnels with all the runners and riders on it, so you don’t need to buy a programme or racecard. The quality of the racing was excellent, on the day I went there were two Group 2 races and also Group 3 and Listed races.