Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
| Group 1 race | |
| Location |
Longchamp Racecourse Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Inaugurated | 1920 |
| Race type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Sponsor | Qatar |
| Website | france-galop.com |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 2,400 metres (1½ miles) |
| Surface | Turf |
| Track | Right-handed |
| Qualification | Three-years-old and up excluding geldings |
| Weight | 56 kg (3yo); 59 kg (4yo+) Allowances 1½ kg for fillies and mares |
| Purse | €5,000,000 (2015) 1st: €2,857,000 |
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it is scheduled to take place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.
Popularly referred to as the "Arc", it is Europe's most prestigious 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 richest turf race and second-richest horse race (behind the Dubai World Cup).
A slogan of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, first used on a promotional poster in 2003, describes the event as "Ce n'est pas une course, c'est un monument" – "It's not a race, it's a monument".
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, 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".
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was first run on Sunday 3 October 1920. The inaugural running was won by Comrade, a three-year-old colt owned by Evremond de Saint-Alary. The winner's prize was 150,000 francs.
...
Wikipedia