Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2026: Date, Favorites and Japan's Bid with Admire Terra

Arc de Triomphe 2026: date, time and why it's big news this week

The Arc de Triomphe 2026, officially the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, runs on Sunday, October 4, at ParisLongchamp, with the race scheduled for 4:05 p.m. Paris time (3:05 p.m. UK, 10:05 a.m. Eastern). It's a €5 million, 2,400-metre (about 1½-mile) turf race and the richest flat race in Europe.

The build-up got serious this week. On Tuesday, September 22, Japan's two runners, Admire Terra and Meisho Tabaru, galloped on the Longchamp track itself, with two-time Arc-winning jockey Cristian Demuro riding Admire Terra for the first time. Japan has never won the Arc, and every autumn the same question comes back: is this the year?

Meanwhile, last year's winner Daryz is the clear favorite to win it again, and Longchamp's clerk of the course says he has never seen such a dry run-up to the race. Here's what you need to know, whether you follow racing closely or just heard about "the Arc" for the first time.

What is the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?

The Arc is a Group 1 flat race for Thoroughbreds aged three and up, run on grass over 1½ miles. Think of it as Europe's autumn championship for middle-distance horses: the best three-year-olds take on the best older horses, and the winner's value as a breeding prospect jumps overnight.

It was first run on October 3, 1920, less than two years after World War I ended. French racing officials named it after the Arc de Triomphe monument in Paris, where the Allies had held a victory parade in 1919. Qatar has sponsored the race since 2008.

How the race works

• Who can run: colts, fillies, mares and stallions aged 3 and older. Geldings (castrated males) have always been barred, but in August the European Pattern Committee approved France Galop's plan to let them run from 2027, so 2026 is the last Arc under the old rule.
• Weight-for-age: three-year-olds carry 56.5 kg and older horses 59.5 kg, a 3 kg break for younger horses that are still maturing. Fillies and mares get a further 1.5 kg allowance.
• The course: Longchamp sits in the Bois de Boulogne on the west side of Paris. It's known for a hill that tests stamina before the long run to the finish.

Records worth knowing

• Frankie Dettori has ridden the most winners (6). André Fabre has trained the most (8).
• Only eight horses have won the Arc twice. The most recent was the mare Enable (2017 and 2018).
• The last male horse to win back-to-back was Alleged in 1977 and 1978, a 48-year gap Daryz is trying to close.

New to terms like "Group 1," "going" or "the draw"? Our horse glossary covers the basics, our breeds guide explains the Thoroughbred, and our disciplines page shows where racing fits among horse sports.

The Arc de Triomphe 2026 favorites: Daryz and the chasing pack

Daryz is the horse to beat. The four-year-old son of Sea the Stars (himself the 2009 Arc winner) is trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, ridden by Mickael Barzalona and owned by the Aga Khan Studs. He won last year's Arc as a three-year-old.

In 2026 he won the Prix Ganay and the Prix Aga Khan IV at Longchamp in the spring and finished third behind Ombudsman at Royal Ascot in June. Then he took the Prix Foy at Longchamp on September 6, a key Arc trial, without his jockey needing the whip. That win made him an even stronger favorite, and a repeat would make him only the ninth horse to win the Arc twice.

Other names to know:

• Varandir, also trained by Graffard, won the Prix Niel for three-year-olds on the same Sunday.
• Friendly Soul won the Prix Vermeille, the trial for fillies and mares, for trainers John and Thady Gosden.
• Minnie Hauk (second in 2025, trained by Aidan O'Brien) and Sosie (third in 2025, trained by André Fabre) were both entered again.

The Arc usually has a big field, so racing luck matters, and even Daryz's own team says he'll need some of it.

Japan's bid: Admire Terra and Meisho Tabaru

Japan entered seven horses back in May, including Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young. The two now in Paris carrying the country's hopes are Admire Terra and Meisho Tabaru.

Admire Terra

• Who: a five-year-old grey colt by Rey de Oro, trained by Yasuo Tomomichi, who has brought Makahiki and Do Deuce to past Arcs.
• Form: won the Hanshin Daishoten (Grade 2, 3,000 m) in March in record time, then finished third in the Grade 1 Tenno Sho (Spring) over 3,200 m in May. He was ninth over a shorter trip in the Sapporo Kinen in August, a run his camp put down to the pace and distance.
• Rider: Cristian Demuro, the Italian-born, France-based reigning French champion jockey, who won the Arc on Sottsass (2020) and Ace Impact (2023). After Tuesday's gallop he said the horse quickened as soon as he asked.
• Fun fact: in the 2025 Japan Cup he lost his jockey at the start and crossed the finish line first anyway. Riderless horses aren't placed, so it didn't count.

Meisho Tabaru

• Who: a five-year-old son of Gold Ship, trained by Mamoru Ishibashi.
• Form: won the Takarazuka Kinen, Japan's summer Grand Prix where fans vote for the runners, in both 2025 and June 2026. He also ran second in the Osaka Hai in April. He's a natural front-runner who likes to set the pace.
• Rider: Yutaka Take, the 57-year-old legend of Japanese racing, who is lining up his 12th Arc ride.

British and Irish bookmakers aren't convinced by either horse yet. In Japan, though, the interest is huge: a Nikkan Sports reporter's photo set of Meisho Tabaru in France drew thousands of likes this week.

Why Japan wants the Arc so badly

Japan first sent a horse to the Arc in 1969, when Speed Symboli made the trip. By Idol Horse's count, 38 Japanese runners have tried through 2025, and none has won.

What makes it painful is how close they've come:

• 1999, El Condor Pasa: led by three lengths in the straight and was caught by Montjeu near the line, losing by half a length.
• 2006, Deep Impact: Japan's biggest star crossed the line third, then was disqualified after a banned-substance positive.
• 2010, Nakayama Festa: beaten a head by Workforce.
• 2012 and 2013, Orfevre: looked the winner in 2012 before veering toward the rail and losing by a neck to Solemia, then finished second again behind Treve a year later.

For Japanese racing, the Arc is the overseas prize that matters most. Japanese breeders have spent decades building top horses for 1½ miles, and beating Europe at its own championship would be the ultimate proof that it worked. When the 2025 Arc aired at 11:05 p.m. local time, about 7,900 fans came back to Tokyo Racecourse after dark to watch it on the big screen, waving flags for the Japanese runners.

Why the ground matters this year

Japanese horses race mostly on fast, firm turf at home, while Paris in October is often soft. In 2025, rain turned Longchamp "very soft," and the Japanese runners never fired. Byzantine Dream was the best of them in fifth.

This year could be different. Longchamp's clerk says it's the driest Arc build-up of his time there. He is aiming for what the French call "bon souple," about 3.3 on the penetrometer, which Racing Post says would be somewhere between good and good to firm in British terms, although some rain was in the forecast for race week. Faster ground would suit horses bred and raced on Japan's quick tracks.

How to watch the Arc de Triomphe 2026

The race is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. in Paris. Here's what that means where you live:

TV deals change from year to year, so check local listings during race week:

• United States: FS1 showed the 2025 Arc live through a FOX Sports and NYRA partnership.
• Australia: Channel 7 says this year's Arc will be live and free.
• Everywhere else: France Galop says the Arc is broadcast in more than 60 countries, so check your local sports channels and racing apps.

Going in person

• Arc weekend: Saturday, Oct. 3 and Sunday, Oct. 4. On Sunday, gates open at 11 a.m. and the first race goes at 1:40 p.m.
• Tickets: general entry from €20; the Arc Village, open to all ages, from €15 (Sunday only). Strollers are welcome.
• Getting there: Metro Line 10 (Porte d'Auteuil) or Line 1 (Porte Maillot), then a free shuttle that runs about every 15 minutes.
• With kids: keep little ones back from the rail and the walking ring. Racehorses on race day are fit, fresh and easily startled. Our safety guide covers the basics.

What to watch next

1. Thursday, Oct. 1: final declarations close. The starting-gate draw is made electronically that morning and kept secret until that evening's official Arc weekend launch, where it is revealed live on French racing channel Equidia.
2. Ground reports: firm ground helps the Japanese pair, while rain helps horses proven on soft going.
3. Jockeys arriving: Yutaka Take is due in Paris during race week to ride Meisho Tabaru.
4. Sunday, Oct. 4: the Arc itself, live from Longchamp.
5. After Paris: the spotlight moves to the Breeders' Cup, held this year at Keeneland. Japan has already won big at the Breeders' Cup: Forever Young took the Classic in 2025.
6. 2027: geldings run in the Arc for the first time.

Your Arc-day checklist

• Set an alarm for your local post time.
• Check the draw Thursday night. Low numbers near the inside rail are often seen as an advantage.
• Learn the silks: Daryz carries the Aga Khan family's famous green and red colors.
• Follow ground updates through the week.
• Browse more horse trends while you wait.