Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, also known as the "Arc", is a prestigious horse race that has been a fixture in the international racing calendar since its inception in 1920. This Group 1 flat race is open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older and is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres. The race is renowned for its rich history and has been described as "not a race, it's a monument".

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was originally conceived as a means of pitting thoroughbreds of different nationalities against each other, with the aim of selecting a champion. The race has its roots in the Prix de Paris, a minor claiming race at Longchamp that had been called the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe since 1882. However, the name was passed in 1919 to the new international event, which was designed to compare the merits of Europe's finest thoroughbreds and select a champion.

The race has been run at Chantilly in 2016 and 2017 during the new ParisLongchamp building, and it hasn't been run in 1939 and 1940, as well as in 1943 and 1944, when it was run at the Tremblay course over 2,300 metres. The Arc de Triomphe first secured state funding in 1935, and it is currently the world's richest turf race and third-richest horse race, behind the Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup.

The race is broadcast in more than 60 countries around the world, with millions of viewers holding their breaths as the world's best thoroughbreds and jockeys compete for the much-coveted title. The event attracts more than 250 accredited journalists from 26 countries, and it is a cosmopolitan occasion, with 35,000 spectators of every nationality packing into the stands at Longchamp.