The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe () is a
Group 1 flat horse race in France open to
thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
s aged three years or older. It is run at
Longchamp Racecourse
The Longchamp Racecourse (, ) is a 57 hectare horse-racing facility located on the Route des Tribunes at the Bois de Boulogne in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. It is used for flat racing and is noted for ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
over a distance of 2,400 metres (1 mile 4 furlongs). The race is 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 seventh-richest turf race and tenth-richest horse race on any surface, with a purse of €5,000,000. Over 60,000 visitors attend the Arc Weekend every year, and the race itself is broadcast live to 50 countries all over the globe.
A slogan of the race, first used on a promotional poster in 2003, describes the event as "''Ce n'est pas une course, c'est un monument''" (French for "It's not a race, it's a monument"). The race is sponsored by Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club, as part of
Qatar's international soft power policy.
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, an event designed to bring together the best three-year-olds from any country. Thirty years later, it introduced the
Prix du Conseil Municipal, 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
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Plac ...
, a famous monument which had been the scene of a victory parade by the
Allies 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
In political contexts, comrade means a fellow party member. The political use was inspired by the French Revolution, after which it grew into a form of address between socialists and workers. Since the Russian Revolution, popular culture in t ...
, a three-year-old colt owned by
Evremond de Saint-Alary. The winner's prize was 150,000 francs.
In 1935, the event secured state funding by the means of a
lottery
A lottery (or lotto) 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 som ...
, 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 race was cancelled twice during World War II, in 1939 and 1940. It was run at
Le Tremblay with a distance of 2,300 metres in 1943 and 1944.
Government funding of the race resumed in 1949, with money obtained through the Loterie Nationale. Offering an attractive jackpot of 50 million francs, this enabled a rapid increase of the prizes for both the Arc and its supporting races. By the 1970s, however, the assistance of the lottery had diminished, and the system was finally discontinued after the 1982 running. Since then, the race has had several sponsors, including
Trusthouse Forte, CIGA Hotels and
Groupe Lucien Barrière.
The present sponsor of the race is the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), as part of
Qatar
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
's international soft power policy.
The sponsorship agreement was signed in
Doha
Doha ( ) 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 (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...
in 2008, and as a result, the prize fund was doubled from €2 million to €4 million. Now, the prize for the race 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 world's richest race for purebred
Arabian
The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world.
Geographically, the ...
horses, with €1,000,000 in prize money.
Due to renovations at the
Hippodrome de Longchamp, the 2016 and 2017 editions of the race took place at
Chantilly.
AN EXCEPTIONAL EDITION AT CHANTILLY!
/ref>
Records
Most successful horse (2 wins):
* Ksar
Ksar or qṣar (), in plural ksour or qsour (), is a type of fortified village in North Africa, usually found in the regions predominantly or traditionally inhabited by Berbers (Amazigh). The equivalent Berber languages, Berber term used is ' ( ...
– ''1921, 1922''
* Motrico – ''1930, 1932''
* Corrida – ''1936, 1937''
* Tantieme – ''1950, 1951''
* Ribot – ''1955, 1956''
* Alleged – ''1977, 1978''
* Treve – ''2013, 2014''
* Enable – ''2017, 2018''
Leading
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase (horse racing), 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 ...
(6 wins):
*
Frankie Dettori – ''Lammtarra (1995), Sakhee (2001), Marienbard (2002), Golden Horn (2015), Enable (2017, 2018)''
Leading
trainer (8 wins):
*
André Fabre – ''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, ...
– ''Corrida (1936, 1937), Djebel (1942), Ardan (1944), Caracalla (1946), Coronation (1949)''
*
Khalid Abdullah – ''Rainbow Quest (1985), Dancing Brave (1986), Rail Link (2006), Workforce (2010), Enable (2017, 2018)''
Fastest winning time –
Found (2016), 2m 23.61s (at Chantilly)
Widest winning margin –
Ribot (1956),
Sea Bird (1965) and
Sakhee (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 over 2,300 metres.
Midnight Sun dead-heated for first in 1959, but he was placed second for hampering Saint Crespin.
Sagace finished first in 1985, but he was demoted to second for bumping Rainbow Quest.
The 2016 and 2017 runnings took place at Chantilly while Longchamp was closed for redevelopment.
Analysis
See also
* List of French flat horse races
References
* France Galop (1979–1989) / ''Racing Post
''Racing Post'' is a British daily horse racing, greyhound racing, and sports betting publisher published in print and digital formats. It is printed in tabloid format from Monday to Sunday. , it has an average daily circulation of 60,629 ...
'' (1990–present):
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* galop.courses-france.com:
*
1920–1949
1950–1979
1980–2009
External links
*
* Race Recordings (1970, 1979-2005
youtube.com
– ''A Brief History: Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.''
galopp-sieger.de
– ''Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.''
horseracingintfed.com
– ''International Federation of Horseracing Authorities – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (2018).''
pedigreequery.com
– ''Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Longchamp.''
prixarcdetriomphe.com
– ''Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Official website.''
– ''Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.''
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prix Arc Triomphe
Open middle distance horse races
Longchamp Racecourse
Horse races in France
Recurring sporting events established in 1920
16th arrondissement of Paris
1920 establishments in France
International sports competitions in Paris
October in sports