Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

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Group One race
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

France's most prestigious horse race
Location Longchamp Racecourse
Paris, France Flag of France
Inaugurated 1920
Race type Thoroughbred
Website Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Race information
Distance 2400 meters (1½ miles)
Track Turf, Right-handed
Qualification Open: Colts & Fillies
3 years old & up
Weight Weight for age
Purse €4,000,000 (as of 2008)

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat race for three-year-old and above thoroughbred horses (excluding geldings). It is run over a distance of 2,400 metres (approximately 1 mile 4 furlongs) raced on turf at Longchamp Racecourse, Paris, France on the first Sunday in October. Often called "The Arc", it is one of the French racing season's four Classic races and is the major end-of-season middle-distance challenge race in Europe. With a purse of €4,000,000 for the 2008 running, the race often brings together the winners of many of the top-class races in England, Ireland, France and other parts of Europe.

The race was inaugurated in 1920 when it was run in celebration of the Allies' victory in World War I.

The first-ever race run at Longchamp was on Sunday, April 27, 1857 in front of a massive crowd. The Emperor Napoleon III and his wife Eugénie were present, having sailed down the Seine River on their private yacht to watch the third race. Until 1930, many Parisians came to the track down the river on steamboats and various other vessels, the trip taking around an hour to the Pont de Suresnes.

Races at Longchamp - Édouard Manet, 1867
Races at Longchamp - Édouard Manet, 1867

The royal couple joined Prince Jerome Bonaparte and his son Prince Napoleon in the Royal Enclosure alongside the Prince of Nassau, Prince Murat and the Duke of Morny, an avid racegoer. Non-aristocratic members of the upper classes were not permitted into the Royal enclosure and had to be content with watching from their barouche carriages on the lawn.

Following World War II, on July 14, 1949, the Societe d'Encouragement with the Loterie Nationale published the conditions for a new Prix de l'Arc du Triomphe. A purse of 25 millions francs was set, making it once again the richest Weight for Age race in Europe. That inaugural race was won by "Coronation", a filly bred by the great French horse breeder Marcel Boussac whose horses won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe a total of six times.

Longchamp racecourse is right-handed, in a large horse-shoe loop that rises gently initially before gradually descending to the long right-hand bend, which leads to the 500 metres (2½ furlongs) finishing straight.

Contents

[edit] Historical notes and records

France Galop records the following:

Most wins by a trainer:

Most wins by a jockey:

  • The fastest Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was run in 1997 by Peintre Celebre at 2.24.60
  • The widest margin of victory has been six lengths by: Ribot (1956), Sea Bird (1965), Sakhee (2001)
  • Of the fifteen fillies who have won the race, there were five in a row between 1979 and 1983. In the 1983 race, the top four finishers were all fillies.

Six horses have won the race twice:

[edit] Trivia

  • 1947 The winner, Le Paillon, was a top-class hurdler who was runner-up in that year's Champion Hurdle and won the French equivalent race.

[edit] Winners

Year
 Winner
 Age
 Jockey
 Trainer
 Owner
 Time
1920 Comrade 3 Frank Bullock Peter Gilpin Evremond de Saint-Alary 2:39.0
1921 Ksar 3 George Stern Walter R. Walton Mme Edmond Blanc 2:34.8
1922 Ksar 4 Frank Bullock Walter R. Walton Mme Edmond Blanc 2:38.8
1923 Parth 3 Frank O'Neill James H. Crawford A. Kingsley Macomber 2:38.2
1924 Massine 4 Albert Sharpe Elijah Cunnington Henry Ternynck 2:40.8
1925 Priori 3 Marcel Allemand Percy Carter Comte Gerard de Chavagnac 2:33.8
1926 Biribi 3 Domingo Torterolo Juan Torterolo Simon Guthmann 2:32.8
1927 Mon Talisman 3 Charles Semblat Frank Carter Edouard Martinez de Hoz 2:32.8
1928 Kantar 3 Arthur Esling Richard Carver Ogden L. Mills 2:38.8
1929 Ortello 3 Paolo Caprioli Willy Carter Giuseppe del Montel 2:42.8
1930 Motrico 5 Marcel Fruhinsholtz Maurice d'Okhuysen Vicomte Max de Rivaud 2:44.8
1931 Pearl Cap 3 Charles Semblat Frank Carter Mlle Diana Esmond 2:38.8
1932 Motrico 7 Charles Semblat Maurice d'Okhuysen Vicomte Max de Rivaud 2:44.6
1933 Crapom 3 Paolo Caprioli Frederico Regoli Mario Crespi 2:41.6
1934 Brantôme 3 Charles Bouillon Lucien Robert Edouard A. de Rothschild 2:41.8
1935 Samos 3 Walter Sibbritt Frank Carter Evremond de Saint-Alary 2:42.6
1936 Corrida 4 Charlie Elliott John E. Watts Marcel Boussac 2:38.6
1937 Corrida 5 Charlie Elliott John E. Watts Marcel Boussac 2:33.9
1938 Eclair au Chocolat 3 Charles Bouillon Lucien Robert Edouard A. de Rothschild 2:39.8
1939 no race 1939-40
1941 Le Pacha 3 Paul Francolon John Cunnington Philippe Gund 2:36.2
1942 Djebel 5 Jacques Doyasbère Charles Semblat Marcel Boussac 2:37.9
1943 Verso II * 3 Guy Duforez Charles Clout Comte Hubert de Chambure 2:33.4
1944 Ardan * 3 Jacques Doyasbère Charles Semblat Marcel Boussac 2:35.0
1945 Nikellora 3 Rae Johnstone René Pelat Mme Robert Patureau 2:34.8
1946 Caracalla 4 Charlie Elliott Charles Semblat Marcel Boussac 2:33.3
1947 Le Paillon 5 Fernand Rochetti William Head Mme Lucienne Aurousseau 2:33.4
1948 Migoli 4 Charles Smirke Frank Butters HH Aga Khan III 2:31.6
1949 Coronation 3 Roger Poincelet Charles Semblat Marcel Boussac 2:33.2
1950 Tantieme 3 Jacques Doyasbère François Mathet François Dupré 2:34.2
1951 Tantieme 4 Jacques Doyasbère François Mathet François Dupré 2:32.8
1952 Nuccio 4 Roger Poincelet Alec Head HH Aga Khan III 2:39.8
1953 La Sorellina 3 Maurice Larraun Etienne Pollet Paul Duboscq 2:31.8
1954 Sica Boy 3 Rae Johnstone Pierre Pelat Mme Jean Cochery 2:36.3
1955 Ribot 3 Enrico Camici Ugo Penco Mario della Rocchetta 2:35.6
1956 Ribot 4 Enrico Camici Ugo Penco Mario della Rocchetta 2:34.8
1957 Oroso 4 Serge Boullenger Daniel Lescalle Raoul Meyer 2:33.4
1958 Ballymoss 4 Scobie Breasley Vincent O'Brien John McShain 2:37.9
1959 Saint Crespin 3 George Moore Alec Head Prince Aly Khan 2:33.3
1960 Puissant Chef 3 Maxime Garcia Charles Bartholomew Henry Aubert 2:44.0
1961 Molvedo 3 Enrico Camici Armando Maggi Egidio Verga 2:38.4
1962 Soltikoff 3 Marcel Depalmas René Pelat Simone Del Duca 2:30.9
1963 Exbury 4 Jean Deforge Geoffroy Watson Guy de Rothschild 2:35.0
1964 Prince Royal 3 Roger Poincelet Georges Bridgland Rex C. Ellsworth 2:35.5
1965 Sea Bird 3 Pat Glennon Etienne Pollet Jean Ternynck 2:35.5
1966 Bon Mot III 3 Freddy Head William Head Walter Burmann 2:39.8
1967 Topyo 3 Bill Pyers Charles Bartholomew Suzy Volterra 2:38.2
1968 Vaguely Noble 3 Bill Williamson Etienne Pollet Mrs Robert A Franklyn 2:35.2
1969 Levmoss 4 Bill Williamson Seamus McGrath Seamus McGrath 2:29.0
1970 Sassafrás 3 Yves Saint-Martin François Mathet Arpad Plesch 2:29.7
1971 Mill Reef 3 Geoff Lewis Ian Balding Paul Mellon 2:28.3
1972 San San 3 Freddy Head Angel Penna, Sr. Comtesse Margit Batthyany 2:28.3
1973 Rheingold 4 Lester Piggott Barry Hills Henry Zeisel 2:35.8
1974 Allez France 4 Yves Saint-Martin Angel Penna, Sr. Daniel Wildenstein 2:36.9
1975 Star Appeal 5 Greville Starkey Theo Grieper Waldemar Zeitelhack 2:33.6
1976 Ivanjica 4 Freddy Head Alec Head Jacques Wertheimer 2:39.4
1977 Alleged 3 Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien Robert Sangster 2:30.6
1978 Alleged 4 Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien Robert Sangster 2:36.5
1979 Three Troikas 3 Freddy Head Criquette Head Ghislaine Head 2:28.9
1980 Detroit 3 Pat Eddery Olivier Douïeb Robert Sangster 2:28.0
1981 Gold River 4 Gary W. Moore Alec Head Jacques Wertheimer 2:35.2
1982 Akiyda 3 Yves Saint-Martin François Mathet HH Aga Khan IV 2:37.0
1983 All Along 4 Walter Swinburn Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 2:28.1
1984 Sagace 4 Yves Saint-Martin Patrick Biancone Daniel Wildenstein 2:39.1
1985 Rainbow Quest * 4 Pat Eddery Jeremy Tree Khalid Abdullah 2:29.5
1986 Dancing Brave 3 Pat Eddery Guy Harwood Khalid Abdullah 2:27.7
1987 Trempolino 3 Pat Eddery André Fabre Paul de Moussac 2:26.3
1988 Tony Bin 5 John Reid Luigi Camici Veronica del Bono Gaucci 2:27.3
1989 Carroll House 4 Michael Kinane Michael Jarvis Antonio Balzarini 2:30.8
1990 Saumarez 3 Gérald Mossé Nicolas Clément Bruce McNall 2:29.8
1991 Suave Dancer 3 Cash Asmussen John Hammond Henri Chalhoub 2:31.4
1992 Subotica 4 Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Olivier Lecerf 2:39.0
1993 Urban Sea 4 Eric Saint-Martin Jean Lesbordes David Tsui 2:37.9
1994 Carnegie 3 Thierry Jarnet André Fabre Sheikh Mohammed 2:31.1
1995 Lammtarra 3 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Sheikh Saeed 2:31.8
1996 Helissio 3 Olivier Peslier Elie Lellouche Enrique Sarasola 2:29.9
1997 Peintre Célèbre 3 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Daniel Wildenstein 2:24.6
1998 Sagamix 3 Olivier Peslier André Fabre Jean-Luc Lagardère 2:34.5
1999 Montjeu 3 Michael Kinane John Hammond Michael Tabor 2:38.5
2000 Sinndar 3 Johnny Murtagh John Oxx HH Aga Khan IV 2:25.8
2001 Sakhee 4 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:36.1
2002 Marienbard 5 Frankie Dettori Saeed bin Suroor Godolphin 2:26.7
2003 Dalakhani 3 Christophe Soumillon Alain de Royer-Dupré HH Aga Khan IV 2:32.3
2004 Bago 3 Thierry Gillet Jonathan Pease Niarchos family 2:25.0
2005 Hurricane Run 3 Kieren Fallon André Fabre Michael Tabor 2:27.4
2006 Rail Link 3 Stéphane Pasquier André Fabre Khalid Abdullah 2:26.3
2007 Dylan Thomas 4 Kieren Fallon Aidan O'Brien Sue Magnier & Michael Tabor 2:28.5

* The 1943 and 1944 races took place at Tremblay over a distance of 2,300 metres (1 mile 3½ furlongs).
* Sagace finished first in 1985 but was relegated to second place following a Stewards' Inquiry.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] External links