Vichy-Bellerive is set for another evening of thoroughbred racing on Saturday, August 15, with a seven-race programme beginning at 5:52pm. The meeting features a varied collection of handicaps, age-restricted contests and a notable Group III event, providing plenty of sporting interest across different distances and categories. The official Vichy calendar lists August 15 as a Galop meeting, continuing the venue’s busy 2026 summer programme.
Vichy Racecards 15 August 2026
The meeting gets underway at 5:52pm and continues through to 9:21pm, with races ranging from 1,400 metres to 3,200 metres. Among the evening’s highlights is the Prix Antoine de Vazelhès, also known as the Critérium du Centre, which carries the highest prize allocation on the card at €33,900. The Group III event is scheduled for 8:17pm and is reserved for three-year-old runners over 2,400 metres. With only five declared runners, it stands apart from the more populated handicaps on the programme.
The Prix Antoine de Vazelhès (Critérium du Centre) is the clear feature of the Vichy programme, carrying €33,900 and classified as a Group III AQ contest. Scheduled for 8:17pm, the race brings together three-year-old horses for a 2,400-metre test. Its combination of elevated status, prize allocation and staying distance makes it the most prominent sporting contest of the evening.
The 2,400-metre journey is expected to place emphasis on stamina, rhythm and the ability to maintain concentration over a longer trip. With five runners listed, the race also has a compact field compared with several of the evening’s handicaps. The contest should therefore provide a fascinating examination of how the three-year-olds handle the demands of a Group-level event at this stage of the season.
The evening begins at 5:52pm with the Prix Les Cookies de Marcus, also known as the Prix de Charmeil. This Class 4 handicap is open to horses aged four and above and will be contested over 2,000 metres. Ten runners are scheduled to take part, creating a sizeable field for the opening race.
The 2,000-metre distance should require a balance between tactical speed and stamina. As a handicap for older horses, the contest could provide an intriguing start to the meeting, with runners bringing different levels of recent experience and form to the track.
At 6:27pm, the programme moves to the Prix Hippodromes en Fête, also known as the Prix de Randan. This 2,000-metre handicap for three-year-olds features ten runners and carries an allocation of €19,200.
The race offers younger horses an opportunity to compete over a middle distance where positioning and pace management can become important factors. The field size should also make the early stages particularly interesting as the runners settle into their positions.
The third contest is scheduled for 7:02pm. Named the Prix Journal La Renaissance, or Prix Elliptique, it is another 2,000-metre Class 4 handicap, this time for horses aged four and above.
With €14,400 available and ten runners entered, the race continues the evening’s emphasis on competitive handicap action. Older horses return to the programme for another test around the Vichy course, with consistency over the distance likely to be important.
At 7:45pm, the fourth race introduces a longer journey with the Prix Atelier Lacour, also known as the Prix François de Malherbe. The contest is open to four- and five-year-olds and covers 2,600 metres.
Eight runners are scheduled for the race, which carries an allocation of €12,000. The additional distance compared with the opening three events should place greater emphasis on stamina and the ability to conserve energy through the early stages before producing a sustained effort.
The evening’s feature arrives at 8:17pm with the Prix Antoine de Vazelhès, the Critérium du Centre. The Group III AQ race is for three-year-olds and covers 2,400 metres, with a €33,900 allocation.
The compact five-runner field makes this a particularly distinctive contest on the card. As the highest-value race of the meeting, it provides the main competitive focus of the evening and could prove a significant test for the participating three-year-olds.
The sixth race begins at 8:49pm and returns to a shorter distance. The Prix des Cyclamens is a 1,400-metre claiming race for three-year-olds, featuring six runners and carrying €11,500.
The reduced distance means early pace and tactical positioning could have an important role. With six runners, there should be plenty of room for the field to find its rhythm, while the shorter trip offers a sharp contrast to the longer Group III contest immediately before it.
The meeting concludes at 9:21pm with the Prix de la Feline – Handicap Challenge. The 3,200-metre Class 4 handicap is open to horses aged four and above and features eight runners.
With the longest distance on the entire programme, the closing race will provide a very different examination from the earlier events. The extended trip should reward stamina and patience, making it an appropriate finale to an evening that covers a broad range of racing conditions.
Vichy’s August 15 programme therefore offers a well-balanced seven-race evening, moving from middle-distance handicaps through a longer-distance contest and culminating in a 3,200-metre finale. The Prix Antoine de Vazelhès remains the standout feature because of its Group III status and €33,900 allocation, while each of the other six races adds its own character through differences in age groups, distances and race classifications.
The meeting also reflects Vichy-Bellerive’s continuing role as an important summer racing venue. The official racecourse calendar confirms that the track hosts a substantial programme throughout 2026, with the August 15 meeting forming part of its summer Galop schedule.
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