The PMU will no longer enjoy a monopoly on betting from June onwards as the online betting market opens up in France. On April 13th, the French historic operator held the PMU annual press conference and exposed his views at the dawn of a new era for French punters, French racing and possibly its economic balance.

Click here to download the English version of the PMU latest information package , featuring an interview of Philippe Germond, the company's new boss, appointed last year.

The French Assembly has finally agreed on the opening of the French online gambling market on Tuesday. The vote had been postponed last week following a tactical move from the Socialists ranks that was made possible by the right wing absenteeism.

Anyway the hemicycle was full on Tuesday and 299 of the 522 present deputies agreed the bill, which was passed with flying colours.

The Socialist group fought against the bill until the last minute and some right wing “cold feet” were also against it. Socialist Gaetan Gorce (Deputy and Mayor in the Nievre, Center-East of France, where many AQPS jumpers are bred) was the most adamant of all. “The trouble is that the regulating authority will not be able to really check the applicants’ whereabouts, even when they intruded our country illegally for months, and will not hold any power by the time the market opens. In other words, what was conceived to protect the citizens will be turned into a licence to steal,” he said to the Assembly.

The Online Gaming Regulation Authority (ARJEL) will now be gathered to deliver the gambling licences to operators by June, that is on time for the beginning of the World Cup. Experts predicted that about 50 websites would receive the agreement to begin with.

Friday, March 26th 2010. In a new and decisive move to get fully geared when the French online betting market opens in June, the PMU, France monopolistic betting operator since 1931, has signed a partnership with poker games operator PartyGaming, it was announced this morning. “The agreement will become effective once the two parties are granted a licence to operate in France by the regulatory bodies (the yet to be created ARJEL). ”

The Partygaming poker software will be used by the PMU in its betting website along with the sports betting offer, which will be monitored by another partner of the French company, Irish bookie Paddy Power. Yet the PMU will keep control of its database and its marketing strategy.

Read more on www.gamingintelligence.com

The entries for 2010’s French classics were announced on Wednesday with 228 horses entered for the Jockey Club, 139 colts in the French 2000 Guineas, 135 fillies in the French 1000 Guineas and 187 in the Prix de Diane. The Coolmore stallions Montjeu (25), Danehill Dancer (24), Galileo(20) and Sadler’s Wells (15) are the most represented amongst the entries. Cape Cross is the “non Coolmore” stallion with the highest number of total entries, 11, while Sinndar is the highest ranking French stallion in the list with 10 progeny in total.

English based trainers such as Barry Hills, Saeed Bin Suroor, John Dunlop, Henry Cecil and Sir Michael Stoute all figure amongst the entries, whilst the Irish are represented notably by Aidan O’Brien, Dermot Weld and Jim Bolger among others. The up and coming star of Ballydoyle, St Nicholas Abbey features among the entries for the Prix du Jockey Club alongside Jan Vermeer, winner of the Criterium de Saint Cloud.

Not to be outdone, the French also have some high class entries to look forward to with all the major trainers well represented. The younger brother of Goldikova, Ocean Seven also figures amongst the entries for the Prix du Jockey Club.

See individual articles for entries in full by race

In order to fabricate the all weather track due to be installed at Chantilly, the racecourse will close its doors to the public after the meeting on July 16th. Consequently the 11 meetings due to take place at Chantilly from that date onwards will be divided between Deauville (2), Maisons-Laffitte (3), Saint-Cloud (3), Compiègne (2) and Fontainebleau (1).

Christophe Lemaire features in a group of four jockeys selected in the category “International Jockey of the Year” by the PJA (Professional Jockeys Association). The 20th anniversary of the Lesters will take place on the 28th February in London when the French jockey will have a tough job to beat out recently retired Mick Kinane along with Davy Russell and Ruby Walsh. He can however be proud of the fact that he is the only French jockey to be nominated and hope that it’s a good sign of things to come this year as he becomes stable jockey to the Aga Khan. Click here to visit PJA website.