The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is Europe’s premier middle-distance race—a championship test over one mile and four furlongs that crowns the very best of the best. And while the race is a French institution, Irish-trained runners have made their presence felt in the 21st century, landing several memorable renewals.
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Now, let’s look back at the Irish-trained greats who conquered Longchamp in the modern era.
2016 – Found (Aidan O’Brien)
A race dominated by Ballydoyle, with an unforgettable 1-2-3. Found, the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Turf heroine, had finished second in six Group 1s leading up to her Arc success, but finally landed the big one under Ryan Moore. The daughter of Galileo relished the strong pace, sweeping past stablemates Highland Reel and Order of St George in a historic clean sweep for O’Brien. Joint-owner of all three horses, Michael Tabor, said:
It’s like Frankie’s seven winners or Micheal Dickinson’s first five in the Gold Cup.
Things like that aren’t supposed to happen, but sometimes they do.
2009 – Sea The Stars (John Oxx)
Arguably the greatest horse of the modern era. Sea The Stars capped an unbeaten three-year-old campaign—Guineas, Derby, Eclipse, Juddmonte International, and Irish Champion Stakes—with a stunning Arc victory. Mick Kinane threaded the needle between horses before powering clear, cementing the colt’s legacy as a once-in-a-lifetime talent. Winning jockey Kinane said:
I ended up in a position I maybe didn’t want to, but I didn’t want to risk firing him up.
They were going a nice pace and I knew I would need a bit of luck in the straight, no matter what happened, but I knew I had the pace to go anywhere I wanted.
He’s a phenomenal horse.
2007 – Dylan Thomas (Aidan O’Brien)
On a rain-softened track and amid controversy over a prolonged stewards’ inquiry, Dylan Thomas held on to deny Youmzain in a driving finish. It was a first Arc triumph for Aidan O’Brien and a typically gritty effort from a horse who had already claimed the King George and Irish Champion that season. His win laid the foundations for O’Brien’s future Arc dominance.
2000 – Sinndar (John Oxx)
The first horse ever to win the Epsom Derby, Irish Derby, and the Arc in the same season. Sinndar was a flagbearer for the Aga Khan and trainer John Oxx, showing toughness and class under Johnny Murtagh. His strong-staying performance in Paris rounded off a flawless campaign and signalled the arrival of Irish flat horses on the global stage.
From Sinndar to Sea The Stars, and from Dylan Thomas to Found, Irish-trained runners have brought pride and glory to Longchamp in the new millennium—an Emerald legacy that continues to sparkle under the Parisian sun.
