Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2026: horse-by-horse guide to all the runners
1. Daryz
Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard. Jockey: Mickael Barzalona. Draw: 5. Age: 4. Odds: 7-4.
Only three colts have won the Arc twice since the end of the second world war, and the most recent of those was Alleged, in 1977 and 1978, so Daryz is bidding to join a very select club when he goes to post this weekend. For the second year running, he has the luck of the draw on his side too with an excellent pitch in stall five, but he is now cast as the older horse trying to give weight to the three-year-olds.
2. Saddadd
Trainer: Roger Varian. Jockey: Ray Dawson. Draw: 9. Age: 4. Odds: 40-1.
Got off the mark at Group One level in Germany last time out, in the same race that Torquator Tasso won before causing a massive Arc upset in 2021. That was also his first run at a mile-and-a-half so further progress is entirely possible, but his limitations did appear to be exposed in a stronger Group One – the Eclipse at Sandown – in July and this latest assignment is much tougher still.
3. Chestnut Rocket
Trainer: Alicja Karkosa. Jockey: Marvin Grandin. Draw: 2. Age: 4. Odds: 200-1.
Launched his career in the racing backwater of Poland before a switch to the much bigger pond of Chantilly, and has improved by the run since joining his current yard a year ago. Latest short-nose second to the useful Al Aasy in a Deauville Group Two was a fresh career best, but realistically still leaves him at least a stone short of what is likely to be required on Sunday.
4. Admire Terra
Trainer: Yasuo Tomomichi. Jockey: Cristian Demuro. Draw: 12. Age: 5. Odds: 50-1.
Finished a half-length behind the winner when third in the spring Tenno Sho, one of Japan’s most prestigious Group One events, back in May, and hit the frame too in the Japanese St Leger in his three-year-old season. Still waiting for a first Group One success, however, and has plenty to find (from a double-figure draw) to trouble the principals.
5. Meisho Tabaru
Trainer: Mamoru Ishibashi. Jockey: Yutaka Take. Draw: 13. Age: 5. Odds: 40-1.
A 12th Arc ride for Japan’s ultimate hero in the saddle, Yutaka Take, whose previous attempts to supply his homeland with a much-desired first win in the race have all come to naught. The five-year-old does arrive in the Bois de Boulogne as only the third horse in the 67-year history of the Group One Takarazuka Kinen to win the race in consecutive years. The ground should be to his liking, but a double-figure draw is another serious obstacle to overcome.
6. Arrow Eagle
Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget. Jockey: Ioritz Mendizabal. Draw: 14. Age: 5. Odds: 100-1.
The final runner in the outstanding career of Jean-Claude Rouget, who saddled his second Arc winner in the space of four runnings when Ace Impact, the favourite, completed an unbeaten six-race career in 2023. The seasons since have been a struggle, though, and Rouget was only able to extend his career until Sunday when a court delayed the winding-up of his training business until next Tuesday.
7. Bay City Roller
Trainer: George Scott. Jockey: Oisin Murphy. Draw: 15. Age: 4. Odds: 33-1.
Looked exposed as simply a very useful Group Two performer at best until this time last year, when he ran away with a Group One in Germany by seven lengths. Added a much more significant Group One win to his record in the Coronation Cup at Epsom on Derby day, thanks in no small part to the rain-softened ground, and would be an interesting each-way shot on the going that generally prevails at Longchamp in early October.
8. Minnie Hauk
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Jockey: William Buick. Draw: 10. Age: 4. Odds: 20-1.
Sent off as favourite 12 months ago having won three Group Ones earlier in the campaign, and led from two out until a few strides before the line before Daryz collared her late on. That prompted a sporting decision to keep her in training with a return to Longchamp in mind, but she has found it much tougher going as a four-year-old, with no further Group One wins from four attempts.
9. Kalpana
Trainer: Andrew Balding. Jockey: Colin Keane. Draw: 6. Age: 5. Odds: 6-1.
A continuous improver throughout her career, and easily forgiven her seventh-place finish behind Daryz last year, when she was caught wide from stall 10 and then stayed on well in the straight. Has progressed again this year, and had Daryz six lengths adrift in third when winner in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July.
10. Friendly Soul
Trainer: John & Thady Gosden. Jockey: James Doyle. Draw: 7. Age: 5. Odds: 25-1.
Punched her ticket for Europe’s showpiece event with a win in the Prix Vermeille in early September, which came with a free supplementary entry for the Arc attached. Even so, the Prix de l’Opera over 10 furlongs – a race she won in 2024 – remained an option until earlier in the week, and though the Vermeille is over the Arc’s 12-furlong trip, she was gifted a very soft lead and only held the closers by three-quarters of a length.
11. Varandir
Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard. Jockey: Clement Lecoeuvre. Draw: 4. Age: 3. Odds: 12-1.
Less than half a length behind Maltese Cross in the Grand Prix de Paris on Bastille Day, although that was good enough only to secure fourth place in a blanket finish. That was the only defeat of his career so far, and he had Benvenuto Cellini back in fifth when finishing one-and-a-quarter lengths clear in the Prix Niel last time out.
12. Benvenuto Cellini
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Jockey: Ryan Moore. Draw: 1. Age: 3. Odds: 14-1.
Deemed a non-runner in the Derby due to a self-inflicted issue at the stalls – even though we all saw him trail home in 10th place – but performed much better when winning the Irish equivalent next time up, on much quicker ground. Went on to finish two lengths behind Kalpana in the King George at Ascot but there were no obvious excuses for a lacklustre fifth behind Varandir, another of today’s rivals, in the Prix Niel in early September.
13. Bright Light
Trainer: Andreas Suborics. Jockey: Benjamin Marie. Draw: 8. Age: 3. Odds: 100-1.
German racing waited more than half a century for a debut Arc success with the 119-1 outsider, Star Appeal, but has upped the pace somewhat in the last 15 years with two more wins, for the well-fancied Danedream (2011) and then another boilover when Torquator Tasso went in four years ago. A third win in 16 years is only a remote possibility, though, as the country’s only runner has at least a stone to find with the likes of Maltese Cross and Daryz.
14. Maltese Cross
Trainer: William Haggas. Jockey: Tom Marquand. Draw: 11. Age: 3. Odds: 5-1.
Hated the ground in the Derby in June, when he also had the worst of the draw in stall one, but still ran on best of all to finish second and has shown improved form on his two starts since. Showed a high-class turn of foot to edge a four-horse blanket finish after a tricky passage in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris in July – a race run over the Arc track and trip – and then breezed to victory in the Great Voltigeur at York, with the Derby winner four lengths adrift.
15. Thundering On
Trainer: Joseph O’Brien. Jockey: Pierre-Charles Boudot. Draw: 3. Age: 3. Odds: 8-1.
Produced one of the best winning performances in the Oaks this century at Epsom in June, when she cruised alongside Legacy Link as though she had only just joined in and then powered nearly four lengths clear at the line. That has proved to be just one among a series of major wins for her trainer in an outstanding campaign, which also saw him run his father, Aidan, very close for the top trainer prize at Royal Ascot.
16. Diamond Necklace
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Jockey: Christophe Soumillon. Draw: 16. Age: 3. Odds: 14-1.
One of two three-year-old fillies in the race (Thundering On is the other), a cohort that had a high old time of it in the Arc between 2008 and 2017 with four wins from 10 runnings. They have since drawn a blank, though digging a little deeper reveals that just eight three-year-old fillies have lined up in that time and three – including Minnie Hauk last year – finished second. So far, so good, and she looked sure to be the Ballydoyle No 1 earlier in the week, but the France-Galop computer handed her the widest draw of all on Thursday and Ryan Moore has baled to ride Benvenuto Cellini from stall one instead.
