Sunday afternoon saw the European racing scene reach a crescendo with a spectacular eight-race card at the beautiful Paris track of Longchamp. The magnificent Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe dominated centre stage, as the crème de la crème of the 1m4f division locked horns around the famous Grand Piste track. However, the €5 million headline act was just one of six Group 1 events on the stellar menu.
With such riches and prestige on offer, Arc Day never fails to attract the most talented equine stars from across the continent and beyond. Runners from Britain, Ireland, Australia, and Japan once again descended upon Longchamp with high hopes of success.
In the end, ultimate glory eluded the overseas raiders, as the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Daryz asserted late to deny Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk in the Arc. However, there was cause for celebration elsewhere on the card.
Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Diamond Sparkles for O’Brien
| Pos. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Diamond Necklace | Aidan O’Brien | Christophe Soumillon | 11/10 |
| 2nd | Green Spirit | Christopher Head | Maxime Guyon | 9/5 |
| 3rd | Narissa | Francis-Henri Graffard | Mickael Barzalona | 9/1 |
O’Brien narrowly missed out in the big one but recorded a notable double in the juvenile events. His St Mark’s Basilica filly, Diamond Necklace, struck first in the opener. In a race stacked with quality, Christopher Head’s unbeaten Green Spirit looked set to make it five on the spin after kicking first in the straight. Diamond Necklace had other ideas. Switched into the clear by Christophe Soumillion, the filly quickened up admirably to mow down Green Spirit and score by a length.
In winning the race for a sixth time, O’Brien moved one clear of Pascal Bary and Criquette Head-Maarek to become the most successful trainer in Prix Marcel Boussac history. The odds compilers were impressed by his latest winner. Following the race, Diamond Necklace was installed as favourite for the 2026 1,000 Guineas at a general price of 7/1.
Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere – Puerto Rico Tough to Pass
| Pos. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Puerto Rico | Aidan O’Brien | Christophe Soumillon | 39/10 |
| 2nd | Nighttime | Christopher Head | Maxime Guyon | 53/10 |
| 3rd | Rayif | Francis-Henri Graffard | Mickael Barzalona | 11/10 |
A little over thirty minutes after Diamond Necklace’s late winning burst, Puerto Rico followed a different route to success in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Pushed straight into the lead by Soumillon, Puerto Rico set the fractions throughout. Once kicked clear in the straight, he never looked like being caught on his way to a dominant success by two and a half lengths. Puerto Rico emulated his late sire, Wootton Bassett, who won the 2010 edition of this race.
It was a fantastic start to the afternoon for O’Brien, who claimed a 10th Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. While Diamond Necklace may be finished for the season, the Ballydoyle maestro suggested we may see Puerto Rico again in 2025. Referencing the prospects of his rising star travelling to the Breeders’ Cup, O’Brien stated:
“I’d say he could definitely be one for the Juvenile Turf.”
Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines – Asfoora Overcomes Passport Drama to Make History
| Pos. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Asfoora | Henry Dwyer | Oisin Murphy | 13/5 |
| 2nd | Jawwal | Vaclav Luka Jr | Clement Lecoeuvre | 32/1 |
| 3rd | She’s Quality | Jack W Davison | James Ryan | 20/1 |
Asfoora entered the history books in the big sprint on the card. Before this success, no horse trained in Australia had ever won in France. Travelling eye-catchingly well under Oisin Murphy, the Aussie mare star shot clear to score by an easy ½l, becoming the first horse to win the Nunthorpe Stakes and Prix de l’Abbaye in the same season since Lochsong in 1993. A sizzling, groundbreaking performance, but it almost didn’t happen…
Asfoora’s victory served as a fine advertisement of her talent but owed just as much to a particularly speedy taxi. Having arrived at Longchamp without Asfoora’s passport – which remained across town in Chantilly – trainer Henry Dwyer required the services of an Uber driver to transport the document to the track. Summing up the incident, the grateful handler stated:
“It’s just surreal, really. We were within a minute and a half of not running – I had the Uber driver on a retainer of £200 to get it here in time.”
Prix de l’Opera Longines – Barnavara Prevails in Blanket Finish
| Pos. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Barnavara | Jessica Harrington | Shane Foley | 98/10 |
| 2nd | See The Fire | Andrew Balding | Oisin Murphy | 17/5 |
| 3rd | One Look | Paddy Twomey | James Doyle | 13/1 |
Having claimed the 2018 Prix Jacques Le Marois with Alpha Centauri and the 2019 Prix Marcel Boussac with Albigna, Jessica Harrington is no stranger to the Group 1 winners’ enclosure in France. One year on from receiving the all-clear in her battle with cancer, the County Kildare handler once again had her name up in Parisian lights.
In the hands of Shane Foley, Barnavara set off to do things the only way she knows how – from the front. Still ahead in the straight, the three-year-old showed real guts to fend off the persistent challenge of Tamfana and Qilin Queen. However, that duo represented only the first wave of challengers. Running on fumes in the closing stages, the long-time leader was in danger of being swamped on both sides. Less than two lengths separated the first seven finishers at the line, but Barnavara plumbed the depths of her resolve and stuck her head out for a famous short-neck success.
The 2025 meeting will go down in Arc history as the year of Daryz. Yet with three Group 1 prizes heading to the Emerald Isle and another heading Down Under, there was cause for celebration far beyond French shores.
