Group 1 Group 1 may refer to:
* Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal
* Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N
* Group On ...
flat
Flat or flats may refer to:
Architecture
* Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries
Arts and entertainment
* Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch
* Flat (soldier), ...
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...
s aged three years or older. It is run at
Longchamp Racecourse
The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, over a distance of 2,400 metres and scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.
Popularly referred to as the "Arc", it is the world's most prestigious all-aged horse race. Its roll of honour features many highly acclaimed horses, and its winners are often subsequently regarded as champions. It is currently the world's second-richest turf race (behind The Everest).
A slogan of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, first used on a promotional poster in 2003, describes the event as "''Ce n'est pas une course, c'est un monument''" – "It's not a race, it's a monument".
History
Origins
The Société d'Encouragement, a former governing body of French racing, had initially restricted its races to thoroughbreds born and bred in France. In 1863, it launched the
Grand Prix de Paris
The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and i ...
, an event designed to bring together the best three-year-olds from any country. Thirty years later it introduced the
Prix du Conseil Municipal
The Prix du Conseil de Paris is a Group 2 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about miles), and it is sche ...
, an international race for the leading horses of different age groups. It was run over 2,400 metres in October, with weights determined by a horse's previous performances.
The creation of a third such race was proposed at a committee meeting on 24 January 1920. The new event would complement the Grand Prix de Paris and serve as a showcase for French thoroughbred breeding. It would have similar characteristics to the Prix du Conseil Municipal, but each horse would compete on equal terms, unpenalised for previous victories.
Coming in the wake of World War I, it was decided that the race would be named after the Arc de Triomphe, a famous monument which had been the scene of a victory parade by the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
in 1919. The chosen title had been previously assigned to a minor event at Longchamp. Another suggested title was the "Prix de la Victoire".
Race history
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was first run on Sunday 3 October 1920. The inaugural running was won by
Comrade
The term ''comrade'' (russian: товарищ, tovarisch) generally means 'mate', 'colleague', or 'ally', and derives from the Spanish and Portuguese, term , literally meaning 'chamber mate', from Latin , meaning 'chamber' or 'room'. It may also ...
, a three-year-old colt owned by
Evremond de Saint-Alary
Count Evremond de Saint-Alary (1868–1941) was a leading owner and breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses in France. Heir of a well known family from the French West Indies, as a young man in his twenties Saint-Alary became involved in horse racing a ...
. The winner's prize was 150,000 francs.
In 1935, the event secured state funding by the means of a
lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling that involves the drawing of numbers at random for a prize. Some governments outlaw lotteries, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of ...
, which awarded prizes according to the race result and the drawing of lots. The system was first used in 1936, and it continued until 1938. The "Arc" was cancelled twice during World War II, in 1939 and 1940. It was run at
Le Tremblay
Le Tremblay () is a former commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. On 15 December 2016, it was merged into the new commune Ombrée d'Anjou.Trusthouse Forte, CIGA Hotels and
Groupe Lucien Barrière
Groupe Barrière operates casinos in France, Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe. The group also operates in the French luxury hotel industry and in the catering and leisure industries.
History
François André, founder
*1912-1951: re-inventi ...
.
The present sponsor of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC). The sponsorship agreement was signed in
Doha
Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
in 2008, and as a result the prize fund was doubled from €2 million to €4 million. Now, the prize for the Arc is worth €5 000 000 which makes it the richest flat race on turf. Arc Weekend now includes seven races classed at Group 1 level, and four with Group 2 status. It also features the
Arabian World Cup
The Arabian World Cup is a Group 1 horse race in France open to purebred Arabian horses aged four years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,000 metres (about 1¼ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
...
, the world's richest race for purebred Arabian horses with €1 000 000 prize-money.
Due to renovations at the
Hippodrome de Longchamp
The Longchamp Racecourse (french: Hippodrome de Longchamp) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for its variety of interlaced tr ...
the 2016 and 2017 editions of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe took place in
Chantilly
Chantilly may refer to:
Places
France
*Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department
**US Chantilly, a football club
*Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly
United States
* Chantilly, Missou ...
Ksar
Ksar or qsar (Maghrebi Arabic: wiktionary:قصر, قصر ''qṣer'' or ڭصر ''gser'', plural ''qṣur''; Berber language, Berber: ⵉⴴⵔⵎ ''aghrem'' or ''ighrem'', plural: ''igherman''), plural ksars, qsars, ksour or qsour, is the Nor ...
Tantieme
Tantième (1947–1966) was a French Thoroughbred horse racing champion and prominent sire who twice won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, France's most prestigious horse race. He also won several other important conditions races including the Gran ...
Alleged
In law, an allegation is a claim of an unproven fact by a party in a pleading, charge, or defense. Until they can be proved, allegations remain merely assertions.
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
(6 wins):
*
Frankie Dettori
Lanfranco Dettori (; born 15 December 1970), better known as Frankie Dettori, is an Italian horse racing jockey based in the United Kingdom. Dettori has been British flat racing Champion Jockey three times and has ...
– ''Lammtarra (1995), Sakhee (2001), Marienbard (2002), Golden Horn (2015), Enable (2017, 2018)''
Leading trainer (8 wins):
*
André Fabre
André Fabre (born 9 December 1945) is a French thoroughbred horse racing trainer.
The son of a diplomat, Fabre graduated from university with a law degree but then decided to pursue a career in thoroughbred horse racing. He began by working in ...
– ''Trempolino (1987), Subotica (1992), Carnegie (1994), Peintre Celebre (1997), Sagamix (1998), Hurricane Run (2005), Rail Link (2006), Waldgeist (2019)''
Leading owner (6 wins):
*
Marcel Boussac
Marcel Boussac (17 April 1889 – 21 March 1980) was a French entrepreneur best known for his ownership of the Maison Dior and one of the most successful thoroughbred race horse breeding farms in European history.
Born in Châteauroux, Indre, ...
Sea Bird
Seabirds (also known as marine birds) are birds that are adapted to life within the marine environment. While seabirds vary greatly in lifestyle, behaviour and physiology, they often exhibit striking convergent evolution, as the same enviro ...
(1965) and
Sakhee
Sakhee (14 February 1997 – 20 August 2021) was an American-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won eight of his fourteen races and was most noted for his performances as a four-year-old in 2001 when his wins included the Internatio ...
(2001), 6 lengths''
Oldest winning horse – Motrico (1932), aged 7 years
Most runners – 30, in 1967
Fewest runners – 7, in 1941
Winners
Cadum finished first in 1925, but he was relegated to second place for hampering Priori.
The 1943 and 1944 editions were run at
Le Tremblay
Le Tremblay () is a former commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. On 15 December 2016, it was merged into the new commune Ombrée d'Anjou.Chantilly
Chantilly may refer to:
Places
France
*Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department
**US Chantilly, a football club
*Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly
United States
* Chantilly, Missou ...
while Longchamp was closed for redevelopment.
Analysis
See also
*
List of French flat horse races
A list of notable flat horse races which take place annually in France, under the authority of France Galop, including all conditions races which currently hold Group 1 Group 1 may refer to:
* Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Al ...
References
*
France Galop
France Galop is the governing body of flat and steeplechase horse racing in France. It was founded on May 3, 1995, as the result of the amalgamation of four different industry organizations. Prominent owner/breeder Jean-Luc Lagardère was elected ...