Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is widely regarded as the best Flat race in the world, with a total prize fund of €5,000,000 and €2,857,000 to the winner. The race is open to horses aged three years or older and is held at Longchamp Racecourse. Due to renovations at the Paris track, the 2016 and 2017 renewals were both held at Chantilly Racecourse. This year’s Arc will take place at Longchamp on Sunday October 6, 2019.

The race is the centrepiece to a brilliant day of Flat racing with six Group 1 races attracting trainers from around the globe. In 2018, the fantastic Enable won a second Arc crown for Frankie Dettori and John Gosden, seeing off the three-year-old filly Sea of Class under James Doyle, trained by William Haggas.

The Group 1 Prix du Cadran is the big race on Arc Saturday over the stamina-sapping 4000m distance, with Vazirabad proving a popular local winner of the race in 2017 for Christophe Soumillon and Alain de Royer-Dupre.

Flanking the main event on Sunday are five other Grade 1 races, including the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, a race that often features the champion two-year-old. Also on the card is the big sprint the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp and the Prix Marcel Boussac for the top two-year-old fillies.

The Longchamp course itself is located just to the west of Paris, making it the perfect location for a weekend away, and prides itself on being affordable for everyone.

Prize money for Arc weekend in 2018 was 7.9m Euro, with 5.6m reserved for the big race itself.

Ante-post betting is available on the Arc usually as soon as the previous year’s renewal has ended, so you have plenty of time to make your mind up and pick a selection.

The 2019 market is currently led by John Gosden’s Enable (9/2) who is aiming for a third consecutive victory in the race. The five-year-old mare is unbeaten in all bar one for her 11 starts and has won over £8 million in prize money, with her 2018 win in this race coming after an interrupted preparation to the race.

Second in is the runner-up last year, Sea of Class (7/1). The William Haggas filly got the three-year-old weight allowance last year and will not have that advantage with Enable, but should have improved for another winter on her back.

One of the more interesting runners is the 2018 Epsom Derby winner, Masar (20/1). He hasn’t been seen since winning the Classic last year but relished the step up from the mile trip in the 2000 Guineas to the 12-furlong distance in the Derby. Assuming he has improved from three to four, Masar must have a decent chance.

For the ‘home’ team, three-year-old Persian King (20/1) would be an exciting runner for Andre Fabre and the Godolphin team.

Here at The Winners Enclosure, we study every single runner and look to profile them all in our race guides, which can be accessed in the days up to any high-profile meeting.

Our tips and selections are all researched and backed up by our experienced team of betting tipsters. They can be found on our daily horse racing tips page on the website.

There is no strict Royal Ascot-style dress code for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe but as Paris is known as a city of style many racegoers dress up in their finery for one of the occasions of the annual calendar.

Entry to the course is highly affordable, with ticket prices in 2019 starting at just 10 Euro to watch the racing from centre of the track (free for under 18s).

There is always much talk about the impact of the draw in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The new Longchamp maintains a similar layout to the old so any draw bias there is remains intact.

Most judges believe that runners with a low draw are favoured but this is often the subject of much debate. It’s far from impossible to win the race from out wide, as proved in relatively recent history by Sakhee (drawn 15 of 17 in 2001), Dalakhani (drawn widest in 14 in 2003) and Treve (drawn 15 of 17 in 2013).

Fillies and mares tend to perform well in the Arc, many of them coming into top form late in the European season. Astonishingly seven of the last eight winners (Treve and Enable twice each, Solemia, Danedream and Found) have been the fairer the sex.

Punters from the UK looking to bet on the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe - or any major French races - must choose between the prices and starting prices offered by UK bookmakers or taking the local Pari Mutuel return (pool betting). There can be a major difference between the two so anybody wanting a bet is advised to shop around before putting their money down.

Punters should also bear in mind that on the Pari Mutuel some horses are coupled if they are in the same ownership in the same race. This means you could end up placing a bet and having an interest in multiple horses, but at much lower odds.

Many bookmakers will be offering free bets and extra places on the race, so keep your eyes peeled and check for any special offers.

Eight horses have won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice, but never has one won it three times. That will be a first Enable is looking to achieve in 2019.

The brilliant Treve won the race in 2013 and 2014 for Criquette Head-Maarek while looking further back, Sea The Stars took the Arc in 2009 after a campaign that saw him win the 2000 Guineas as well as the Epsom Derby.

Other two-time winners of the race include Tantieme (1947 & 1948), Ribot (1995 & 1956) and Alleged for Vincent O’Brien and Lester Piggott (1977 & 1978). Andre Fabre has trained the winner of the race on no less than seven occasions while Frankie Dettori has ridden the winner on six occasions, including a 2015 success on Golden Horn.

Other notable winners include the brilliant Dancing Brave, who came from way back to cut down a top-class field in scintillating style back in 1986, and the mighty Sea Bird - a sensational six-length winner in 1965.

One of the biggest shocks in the race came in 1993 when Urban Sea claimed victory. She later became one of the most influential broodmares in world racing, siring the brilliant racehorse and mighty stallion Galileo as well as fantastic Arc winner Sea The Stars.