Andy Newton
It’s been a much talked about debate in recent years, but It’s official: Europe’s richest race is finally opening its doors. Starting in 2027, geldings will be allowed to run in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, following a historic vote by France Galop board members on Monday.
Before it’s completely set in stone, France still has to formally request the change at a full meeting of the European Pattern Committee.
That said, it’s highly unlikely any other major European racing nation will stand in the way. If anything, this move just brings France’s crown jewel into alignment with the rest of Europe’s top-tier races.
Geldings To Run In Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe From 2027
Lately, the Arc has looked increasingly isolated.
It’s been one of the very few all-aged Group 1s in Europe still restricting entries to colts, fillies, and mares. In fact, ever since the Prix du Moulin opened to geldings back in 2020, the Aga Khan Studs Prix Jacques le Marois has been the only other outlier left in the French Pattern.
Don’t expect to see a mix-up this autumn, though.
Entries for this year’s showdown at Longchamp on October 4 already closed last month, meaning the new rules won’t kick in until 2027.
Still, the French online racing daily Jour de Galop broke the news of the board’s ground-breaking decision.
Goliath and Calandagan Could Now Run In The Arc
The push to let geldings into the Arc has really gained steam over the last couple of years, driven largely by the incredible exploits of Goliath and Calandagan.
Both horses are trained in Chantilly by Francis Graffard, and both were shut out of France’s biggest race simply because they’d been gelded.
Calandagan even capped off 2025 as the Longines World’s Best Racehorse.
Because he couldn’t run the Arc, his world-champion campaign became a globetrotting showcase with runs in Dubai, Britain, and Japan-making just a single appearance on home soil to win the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
We’ve seen a similar story with Godolphin’s Rebel’s Romance, another brilliant gelding who had to go global to find top-level success, winning in Dubai, Hong Kong, the US, and Germany.
If all goes well, Calandagan could finally get his shot at the Arc in 2027, when he’ll be a six-year-old.
WATCH: Calandagan Winning The Japan Cup in 2025
Historically, Group 1 races for two- and three-year-olds in Europe have been strictly limited to colts and fillies, serving as the ultimate proving ground for future breeding stock.
But while marquee British and Irish races like the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, as well as both Champion Stakes, welcome geldings with open arms, France Galop has long held out, arguing that the Arc and the Jacques le Marois are just too vital to the breeding selection process to change.
It’s a horse racing topic that still sparks fierce debate.
Trainers and vets are deeply divided over whether gelding a horse gives them a distinct physical or psychological edge.
It’s a tension that was mirrored right inside the boardroom, with both elected members and France Galop officials heavily split on whether to finally open the Arc’s doors.
Who Won The 2025 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe?
The 2025 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was won by the French-bred three-year-old colt Daryz, who delivered a thrilling finish at ParisLongchamp by chasing down the hot favorite, Minnie Hauk, in the final strides to win by a head.
Running in the iconic green-and-red silks of the Aga Khan Studs, Daryz gave both jockey Mickaël Barzalona and trainer Francis-Henri Graffard their very first victories in Europe’s most prestigious race.
The emotional win came just months after the passing of breeder Aga Khan IV, marking a record eighth Arc triumph for the historic racing operation.
WATCH: Daryz Winning The 2025 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Who Is Fancied For The 2026 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe?
Unsurprisingly, last year’s breakout hero Daryz heads into the 2026 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as the clear market favorite, sitting at around 3/1 or 4/1.
Under the guidance of trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, the brilliant four-year-old colt is aiming to become the first horse to secure back-to-back Arc victories since the legendary filly Enable did it in 2018.
Daryz has already kept his momentum rolling through his four-year-old campaign with impressive wins at Longchamp over shorter trips, proving he handles the track perfectly and remains the undisputed horse to beat on the first Sunday of October.
Chasing closely on the favorite’s heels are a couple of deeply talented contenders, most notably Minnie Hauk and the highly regarded Constitution River. Minnie Hauk, trained by Aidan O’Brien, was agonizingly denied by just a head in last year’s thriller and is currently priced around 8/1 to 10/1 to go one better this time around.
She is joined in the upper tier of the betting by stablemate Constitution River, while the progressive three-year-old Thundering On, who won the Epsom Oaks this season, has also seen plenty of market support at around 7/1, making the upcoming renewal look like an absolute blockbuster.
When Is The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2026?
The 2026 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe takes place on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at the ParisLongchamp racecourse.
The spectacular weekend of racing kicks off the day before, on Saturday, October 3.
