Qatar Arc Trials - Quotes from connections and track update

Three key stepping stones on the road to the Thoroughbred World Championship

With just four weeks to go before the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, ParisLongchamp will once again host the Qatar Arc Trials, a pivotal meeting featuring three major prep races that give contenders a final opportunity to hone their form ahead of the big day on 5 October.

The three races known collectively as the Qatar Arc Trials are:

• Qatar Prix Vermeille (Group 1 – the highest level of international competition): open to fillies aged 3 and up.
• Qatar Prix Niel (Group 2): for 3-year-old colts and fillies.
• Qatar Prix Foy (Group 2): for older horses aged 4 and up.

Winners of these three races will automatically receive a Wild Card for the Arc, thanks to the new “Arc Races” circuit introduced this year by France Galop. Entry fees will be refunded to the winners of the Qatar Arc Trials. Horses not already entered will benefit from a free supplementary entry worth €120,000.

The card also features the Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon, a top-level race for Purebred Arabians, serving as the final trial for the Qatar Arabian World Cup, the equivalent of the Arc for this distinct breed. Another major highlight will be the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, a Group 1 run over a mile (1,600 metres).

1 – Qatar Prix Vermeille: A generational showdown

The second half of the season is when the top 3-year-old fillies test themselves against their elders, and the Qatar Prix Vermeille offers the perfect stage. The 2025 line-up is shaping up to be a true intergenerational clash.

Among the 4-year-olds, Aventure—runner-up in both the 2024 Vermeille and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe—leads the charge. Among the younger fillies, the French-trained Gezora, winner of the Prix de Diane Longines (Group 1) in June, and the Irish raider Whirl, runner-up in the Epsom Oaks, then winner of both the Pretty Polly Stakes and the Nassau Stakes (Group 1), pose serious threats.

Quotes from connections:

Christophe Ferland (trainer of Aventure) – Chantilly Training Centre (Oise)
"Everything is looking good for Sunday. Maxime Guyon came to work her on Tuesday morning and all went well. Aventure is in great form."

Francis-Henri Graffard (trainer of Gezora) – Chantilly Training Centre (Oise)
"This race has been the target ever since she won the Prix de Diane Longines. She worked on the racecourse on Tuesday and everything went smoothly. I don't think the longer distance will be an issue—she's very relaxed in her races. She's also proven she can handle any ground. This race will help us decide on the rest of her campaign. The Arc is certainly an option, but the Prix de l’Opéra Longines is also on the table."

Nicolas Clément (trainer of Survie) – Chantilly Training Centre (Oise)
"Survie has already won the Prix de Malleret over Sunday’s course. We know this is a very strong field, with the Prix de Diane winner, Whirl—arguably Europe’s top filly—and Aventure all lining up. But Survie has always shown up, and after discussions with her owners, we agreed to take our chance."

2 – Qatar Prix Niel: Leffard takes on the overseas raiders

The Qatar Prix Niel is the designated prep for 3-year-olds of both sexes, although fillies usually opt for the Vermeille, as is the case again this year. The leading home hope is Leffard, who won the Cygames Grand Prix de Paris (Group 1) over this very course on 13 July.

Among the international challengers, Tennessee Sud stands out. Trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien, he won the Critérium de Saint-Cloud (Group 1) last year and was third this year in the Epsom Derby, the British equivalent of the Prix du Jockey Club. Other contenders include French-trained Cualificar, runner-up in the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and third in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano (Group 2) at Deauville, as well as Parachutiste, who recently impressed in the Grand Prix de Clairefontaine (Listed).

Quotes from connections:

Jean-Claude Rouget (trainer of Leffard) – Pau Training Centre (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
"His preparation went well. Leffard and Arrow Eagle [entered in the Qatar Prix Foy, ed.] worked together on Monday at Deauville… and finished together. We don’t ask too much of them in morning workouts. I didn’t see the point in running Leffard at Deauville. I think moving the Arc Trials up by a week was a great decision—it gives horses more recovery time."

Francis-Henri Graffard (trainer of Parachutiste) – Chantilly Training Centre (Oise)
"He’s in top form. He won nicely at Clairefontaine, and I don't have many other options for him. He’ll likely stay in training at four, and this race will help us decide his future path. It could be his final run of the season, but if he runs very well, we might continue. His run in the Prix Eugène Adam can be dismissed—he wasn’t well that day."

3 – Qatar Prix Foy: One year later…

Last year, Los Angeles and Sosie finished third and fourth in the Arc. Both remain in training at four and are aiming for another shot at the world championship for Thoroughbreds, beginning with the Qatar Prix Foy.

They’ll be closely watched, though Japan’s focus will be on its runner Byzantine Dream, who is here for an acclimatisation run before the Arc, where he’ll be joined by three fellow Japanese contenders: Croix du Nord, Alohi Alii, and Shin Emperor.

From the UK, Almaqam, who beat the top-class Ombudsman earlier this season, will be tested over the full 2,400 metres to determine whether the Arc—or perhaps the Champion Stakes—is the better target.

Quotes from connections:

Tomoyasu Sakaguchi (trainer of Byzantine Dream) – Japan
"In the Foy, the key is for him to have a good, incident-free race that serves as a springboard to the main goal. His preparation has gone very well. He’s a bit unsettled by the change of environment—his stress levels are higher than they would be in Japan—but we hope he’ll settle quickly."

Francis-Henri Graffard (trainer of Map of Stars) – Chantilly Training Centre (Oise)
"Map of Stars was born to run 2,400 metres. Physically, he’s superb—he’s got the engine, that’s for sure—but he’s also developing more character. He’ll be ridden to suit him, and we’ll decide on his next steps after the race. The ground is a question mark. In Germany, it was testing, and under those conditions, he’s not the same horse. His second in the Ganay, just a quarter-length behind Sosie despite a tough trip, gives him the right to run here with ambition. But ultimately, it will come down to his mindset."

Ed Walker (trainer of Almaqam) – United Kingdom
"I think the Prix Foy is the right race for him. The ground should suit. Several jockeys who’ve ridden him before believe he’ll stay. His pedigree doesn’t make it obvious, but the way he races suggests he should. He’s a dream of a horse for a jockey—you can place him anywhere. Sunday will tell us whether he’s an Arc horse or better suited to the Champion Stakes. He’s in phenomenal form."

Track conditions expected at ParisLongchamp – Sunday 7 September

Charles de Cordon, Director of ParisLongchamp, stated on Thursday evening, 4 September:

"Over the past 7 days, we’ve recorded 46 mm of rain. The weather forecast is now dry, with temperatures expected to rise gradually, reaching 27°C on Sunday. Under these conditions, we anticipate a going index of 3.4: GOOD TO SOFT.

The rail will be set at 8 metres, providing a fresh strip of turf along the inside that hasn’t been used since early June. Please note: there will be no open stretch."