World readies for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
- Fan village and cultural encounters to showcase competing nations
- Daryz eyes back-to-back glory as Japan and Ireland spearhead fierce challenge
- Qatari contenders set for new challenge in Qatar Arabian World Cup
Mdmar – Doha
Paris is preparing to host the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which has taken place for more than a century on the first weekend of October. The world’s best horses and jockeys gather in pursuit of one of horse racing’s most coveted prizes. The upcoming staging marks the 105th renewal, which was first run in 1920 and missed only a handful of editions during wartime.
Since Qatar’s landmark sponsorship of the international showcase began nearly two decades ago, the event has undergone a dramatic transformation. Staged over two days at ParisLongchamp before roughly 35,000 racegoers and broadcast across dozens of channels in 60 countries, it draws millions of turf enthusiasts globally as one of the world’s premier racing fixtures.
Behind the scenes, a 2,600-strong workforce across nearly 200 distinct roles manages operations and horse movements at ParisLongchamp while 300 accredited journalists representing 26 nations cover the action.
18 top-class races on ParisLongchamp card
The two-day fixture at ParisLongchamp features 18 of the world’s premier races, including 10 Group 1s representing the pinnacle of elite competition. Total prize money across these races stands at €10 million, with half that purse allocated to the top five finishers in the weekend’s feature, the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – the richest race in Europe. The winner will take home €2,857,000 (57.14% of the prize fund), with the remainder distributed among the second-to fifth-placed horses.
Arqana Sale and Saint-Cloud fixture
Prior to the main two-day meeting at ParisLongchamp, two major highlights launch the weekend’s proceedings. The Arqana Purebred Arabian Sale leads off on Thursday, followed on Friday by an elite card at Saint-Cloud headlined by the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Poulains (colts) and the Qatar Arabian Trophy des Pouliches (fillies). Last year’s renewal saw Al Wasmiyah Racing’s Laffan land the colts race while Al Shaqab Racing’s Subahiyah captured the fillies contest, cementing Qatari supremacy across both Classic races. As ever, Qatari connections will be out in force in a bid to defend their crowns against fierce international opposition.
Opening Ceremony on Thursday
A key feature of this year’s renewal is the Opening Ceremony, hosted on Thursday evening at the prestigious Salle Wagram in Paris. The evening will feature the unveiling of the starting gate draw for both the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Qatar Arabian World Cup in the presence of owners, trainers, jockeys, VIPs, key figures from the racing industry and international media. The unveiling of the barrier positions remains one of the most eagerly anticipated highlights of the evening for racing professionals and enthusiasts alike.
In attendance will be Hamad bin Abdulrahman Al-Attiyah, Chairman of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), alongside members of the QREC delegation. As announced last May, the electronic barrier draw will take place on Thursday morning before the results are officially revealed during the ceremony, marking the official launch of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend.
Parade of nations to fly competing flags
The Opening Ceremony is not the sole highlight of this year’s renewal, which takes on a festive atmosphere showcasing the countries contesting the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. On Sunday, a parade on the track will feature the flags of all participating nations, complemented by a dedicated fan village where spectators can explore the heritage of each competing country.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
This vibrant atmosphere promises an exceptional celebration of cultural exchange, drawing racegoers from the world’s leading racing jurisdictions. Across Saturday and Sunday, each country will come to life through its unique culture, atmosphere and turf stars, with dedicated areas for each nation, showcasing its culture, cuisine, music and traditional crafts.
World’s top jockeys take centre stage
Sunday will also feature a parade of jockeys representing the competing nations, set to music from each of the countries represented in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the World Cup of Thoroughbred Racing. This year’s stellar riding line-up features international icons including Japan’s Yutaka Take and England’s Ryan Moore, alongside France based riders such as Christophe Soumillon, Maxime Guyon, Cristian Demuro and Mickaël Barzalona. All will be on board exceptional horses.
Daryz bids for rare feat
All eyes will be on Daryz in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as last year’s heroic winner looks to script another historic chapter. Connections could easily have retired their star colt at the summit of his racing career to join the Aga Khan Studs stallion roster. Instead, the decision was taken to keep him in training under Francis-Henri Graffard for one of racing’s ultimate tests: back-to-back Arc victories—a feat achieved by just eight horses in over a century of the race’s history. Prominent among those legendary figures are Treve (2013 and 2014) and Enable (2017 and 2018), who stand as the most recent icons to achieve the historic back-to-back Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe double, securing their permanent places on the global honour roll.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
Should Daryz prevail, the French champion will firmly cement his status among the all-time greats of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. He arrives spot on for the assignment following a decisive victory in the Qatar Prix Foy on the Qatar Arc Trials day.
A total of 73 entries currently remain for the ParisLongchamp showpiece, including the Wathnan Racing duo of Best Secret and Gethin alongside Al Shaqab Racing’s Alam.
Japan’s long-standing dream
Once again this year, Japanese contenders will carry the hopes of a passionate racing nation. Enthusiasts across Japan will tune in live late into the night to watch the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, whilst many fans will make the trip to ParisLongchamp in person. It remains a legendary challenge that has eluded them since their first tilt at the race in 1969.
On the subject of record-breakers, the fastest time in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is still held by the German filly Danedream, who established the 2,400-metre course record in 2011 when scoring in 2:24.49.
Classic double aiming for glory
Alongside Daryz, the Qatari-owned trio and the Japanese squad, the Irish contingent -spearheaded by master trainer Aidan O’Brien – has dominated headlines after landing two of France’s premier Classics with a pair of three-year-olds. Constitution River landed the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club whilst Diamond Necklace claimed the Prix de Diane Longines, with both now bidding for further glory for Ireland in the ParisLongchamp showpiece.
Qatar Arabian World Cup
Beyond the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, another major spectacle commands immense global interest: the Group 1 Qatar Arabian World Cup. Held as a testament to Qatar’s dedication to the Purebred Arabian horse globally, the contest was established as a direct result of Qatari sponsorship to offer Arabian horses the stage to compete at ParisLongchamp in a world-class arena.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
Qatari-owned runners have dominated the race, sitting firmly atop its international honour roll with 15 victories from 18 renewals since the event’s inception in 2008. The legendary champion Al Ghadeer, owned by Al Shaqab Racing, boasts the lion’s share of recent success, having completed a hat-trick of victories in the last three runnings.
A total of 27 horses remain in the entries, with final declarations scheduled for next Thursday. The Qatari contingent currently featured among the entries includes Al Theeb, Luwsail, Shaihaan, Shayeg and Hajmah for Al Shaqab Racing; Tabarus for HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani; Haseef, this year’s HH The Amir Sword winner Lippo De Carrere, Molfit, Moneer, Mureb, Chdia and RB Mary Lylah for Wathnan Racing; Laffan for Al Wasmiyah Racing; Sab’aan Al Shahania for HE Sheikha Iman bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Thani; Geneva for Abdulla bin Fahad Al-Attiyah; and Lacaro du Croate for Mansoor Khalil Al-Shahwani.
A total of 27 horses remain in the entries, with final declarations scheduled for next Thursday. The Qatari contingent currently featured among the entries includes Al Theeb, Luwsail, Shaihaan, Shayeg and Hajmah for Al Shaqab Racing; Tabarus in the silks of HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani; Haseef, this year’s HH The Amir Sword winner Lippo De Carrere, Molfit, Moneer, Mureb, Chdia and RB Mary Lylah carrying the colours of Wathnan Racing; Laffan for Al Wasmiyah Racing; Sab’aan Al Shahania owned by HE Sheikha Iman bint Mohammed bin Khalifa Al-Thani; Geneva for Abdulla bin Fahad Al-Attiyah; and Lacaro du Croate in the ownership of Mansoor Khalil Al-Shahwani.
“Mdmar” website for horse racing and equestrian News
The “Mdmar” website which was Founded by Khaled Makhlouf in 2007 for horse and equestrian races is keen to cover and follow all competitions related to horses, from show jumping, Horseracing, speed and endurance races, and purebred Arabian horse beauty shows, which belong to the Arab Gulf countries at home and abroad in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
