Your essential guide to the 2026 Arc de Triomphe

Race Information:

Date: Monday, October 5th (1:05am AEDT)

Racecourse: ParisLongchamp, France

Race Class: Group 1

Conditions: 3yo+ Colts, Fillies and Mares

Surface: Turf

Distance: 2400m

Prizemoney: €5 million (roughly AUS$ 8 million)

History

First run in 1920, the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is annually held on the first Sunday of October and is widely known for being the most prestigious race in the world.

While other global spectacles offer staggering prize purses or age-restricted prestige, the "Arc" stands unrivalled as flat racing’s definitive open championship. Run over a demanding 2,400 meters, the €5 million Group 1 contest forces a rare cross-generational showdown. Three-year-old classic winners line up alongside seasoned older horses, pitted on a weight-for-age scale across a false straight and punishing Parisian turf that autumn weather routinely renders unpredictable.

It is an uncompromising athletic test, demanding raw speed, tactical patience, and stamina in equal measure that gives the victory its weight. An Arc triumph does more than crown a champion, it permanently enshrines a horse’s legacy and guarantees immense commercial value in the global breeding sheds.

The 2026 running of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe will hold greater significance than usual, as it marks the final time the race will be restricted exclusively to colts, fillies, and mares. From 2027 onwards, geldings will be permitted to compete. A change driven largely by the fact that some of the world’s top horses, such as Calandagan and Goliath, were previously ineligible to run.

Top Contenders

Daryz

Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard

Jockey: Mickel Barzalona

Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE)

Age/Sex: 4yo Colt

Winner of the Arc de Triomphe last year, the French-trained galloper has been lightly raced since, having only four starts, three of which he has won, with his only defeat being a third place behind the 2nd highest-rated horse in the world, Ombudsman, in the Prince of Wales Stakes. He is the highest-rated horse in this race and boasts a commanding record of eight wins and two placings from 11 starts. He is a deserving favourite and will be very hard to beat on a track he has only ever lost at once.

Maltese Cross

Trainer: William Haggas

Jockey: Tom Marquand

Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE)

Age/Sex: 3yo Colt

William Haggas's progressive colt arrives at Longchamp as the unexposed, rising power of the three-year-old division. A son of 2009 Arc winner Sea The Stars, Maltese Cross has improved with every outing this season, overcoming a narrow defeat in the Epsom Derby to capture a landmark French victory over course and distance in the Grand Prix de Paris. His blend of stamina and tactical speed makes him a formidable contender, receiving the lucrative three-year-old weight allowance.

Diamond Necklace

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Jockey: Christophe Soumillon

Sire: St Mark’s Basilica (FRA)

Age/Sex: 3yo Filly

One of the most intriguing entries in the lineup, Aidan O'Brien's classic-winning filly takes a step into uncharted territory over twelve furlongs. Unbeaten as a juvenile, the daughter of St Mark's Basilica added the French 1,000 Guineas and French Oaks (Prix de Diane) double to her resume earlier this season, showcasing a high-cruising speed and blistering acceleration. While her pedigree hints that a mile and a half is within her reach, answering the stamina question against Europe’s elite middle-distance horses will determine whether she can deliver another masterpiece for Ballydoyle.

Minnie Hauk

Trainer: Aidan O’Brien

Jockey: William Buick

Sire: Frankel (GB)

Age/Sex: 4yo Mare

Minnie Hauk returns to Longchamp seeking redemption after missing out by just a head to Daryz in a dramatic 2025 finish. Aidan O'Brien’s high-class mare boasts an enviable big-race record, including victory in the 2025 Epsom Oaks. Though her campaign this year has seen its share of setbacks and mixed fortunes, she possesses established track form and proven stamina over twelve furlongs that make her a dangerous, battle-hardened rival if she hits her top stride on Sunday.

Kalpana

Trainer: Andrew Balding

Jockey: Colin Keane

Sire: Study of Man (IRE)

Age/Sex: 5yo Mare

Representing Juddmonte and trainer Andrew Balding, the tough five-year-old mare brings rock-solid Group 1 consistency and proven stamina to the starting stalls. A multiple winner at the highest level—including back-to-back victories in the British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and a signature triumph in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot—Kalpana is as durable as she is talented. Having put a subpar 2025 Arc run well behind her with top-tier form this summer, her strong finishing engine gives her every chance of claiming a place on the podium.

Thundering On

Trainer: Joseph O’Brien

Jockey: Pierre-Charles Boudot

Sire: Frankel (GB)

Age/Sex: 3yo Filly

Thundering On established herself as one of the premier fillies of her generation with an authoritative three-and-a-three-quarter-length victory in the Epsom Oaks. After a brief midsummer blip, the daughter of Frankel reasserted her class with a sharp win in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at the Curragh. Boasting plenty of stamina and a sharp change of gear, she heads to Paris aiming to follow in the footsteps of classic fillies who have successfully translated their Epsom heroics onto Longchamp's biggest stage.

Writer’s Tips

#1. Daryz

#14. Maltese Cross

#7. Bay City Roller

#9. Kalpana

Clearly Daryz is the one to beat, he is the class horse of the field and is proven at the track and distance. William Haggas’ three-year-old, Maltese Cross, keeps improving with every race and I suspect he will go to another level here. He is an emerging talent and very untapped. Bay City Roller is my best roughie of the race, he ran second to Daryz in a lead-up race to the Arc and before that won at Epsom defeating a star-studded field that featured Jan Brueghel and Calandagan. The ultra consistent Kalpana shouldn’t be forgotten either, I feel she’s been forgotten about and could go close to winning.