Saturday (July 17), was better than a comeback from 2020’s pandemic-impacted racing season. In fact, the Circuit régional des courses de chevaux du Québec (CRCCQ) made the move to online wagering for the first time in 30 years of racing at St. Joseph de Lepage (SJLP). And what a move it was.
The 11 races were available for betting on Canada’s Horseplayer Interactive (HPI) and TwinSpires in the USA. Instead of the regular AmTote trackside wagering, organizers decided to make the races available to a larger audience. As CRCCQ spokesperson Manon Gravel noted, “The timing was perfect to try HPI, as the quality of horses on the track was great. People from all over the province and the country could see the performances. SJDL is about six hours from Montréal, so this was a great opportunity to see the Circuit Régional and to place bets.”