Thursday saw the final field confirmed for the 2026 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Sixteen hopefuls will take to the Longchamp turf this Sunday afternoon, bidding for a share of the €5 million in prize money and a place in the history books.
That final field of sixteen includes runners from five nations, three-year-olds, four-year-olds, and five-year-olds, colts, fillies, and mares (no geldings yet, but they are coming in 2027). That diverse cast creates the most cosmopolitan Group 1 contest over 1m4f on the European calendar, giving fans the chance to discover who really is the best of the best.
Daryz to Dazzle for France?
The home team are responsible for just 25% of the final field. However, the French team includes the clear market leader, Daryz. Sired by 2009 winner Sea The Stars, this Francis-Henri Graffard runner caused a minor shock when getting up close to home to claim the 2025 edition. He has since shown that effort was no fluke with wins in the Prix Ganay, Prix d’Ispahan, and Prix Foy. Successful in five of his six starts at Longchamp, the Aga Khan Studs runner is priced at a general 7/4 to defend his crown.
Also hailing from the yard of Francis-Henri Graffard and sporting the famous Aga Khan silks, Varandir bids to add to the solid recent record of three-year-olds in the Arc (14 wins since 2000). Making a belated debut in April of this year, his only defeat in five outings came when going down by less than a length to Maltese Cross in the Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc course and distance. More open to improvement than most, he may not be far away.
Arrow Eagle and Chestnut Rocket complete the French challenge but have a lot to find on form, as their triple-figure odds suggest.
High Hopes for Haggas Star
With five runners among the remaining entries, Britain is the most well-represented nation in the 2026 lineup. Of those making the trip across the Channel, Maltese Cross arrives with the most compelling claims. The William Haggas star followed up a fine second in the Derby with wins in the Grand Prix de Paris and Great Voltigeur. Haggas came closest to winning this when Sea Of Class finished a narrow second to Enable in 2018. Could this be the year he goes one better? At a general 5/1, Maltese Cross lies behind only Daryz in the market.
In what looks a strong year for the Brits, Kalpana is third in the market with several firms. The Andrew Balding mare finished only seventh in the 2025 edition but returns as an improved performer. Winning four of five starts since that defeat, she arrives seeking a Group 1 hat-trick following wins in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks. Going in the famous Juddmonte silks, carried to Arc success by Rainbow Quest, Dancing Brave, Rail Link, Work Force, Enable, and Blue Stocking, she looks set to go well for Colin Keane.
Of the remaining British challengers, George Scott’s Bay City Roller may need the rain to arrive to be seen to best effect; the mare Friendly Soul is a dual winner against her own sex at Longchamp, but can she do it against the boys? And Roger Varian’s Saddaad would rate a poignant winner in the year his owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum passed away.
Oaks Heroines Lead Irish Assault
If Ireland are to win the race for the first time since 2016, hopes rest with the O’Brien training dynasty. Patriarch Aidan O’Brien saddles French Oaks winner Diamond Necklace, 2025 Epsom Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk, and this year’s Irish Derby champ, Benvenuto Cellini. Son Joseph pins his hopes on the 2026 Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On.
Of that quartet, Minnie Hauk and Benvenuto Cellini have work to do on their recent efforts, although the former lost out by just a head when second to Daryz in the 2025 edition. Diamond Necklace lost her unbeaten record at Deauville last time and is yet to tackle this trip but remains the shortest price of the Aidan O’Brien runners. With no concerns at the distance and having bounced back to form in the Blandford Stakes, perhaps Thundering On could be the one to end the ten-year wait.
Japan to End 57-Year Wait?
Japan saddled their first Arc contender in 1969. Heading into the 2026 edition, the Land of the Rising Sun has yet to solve the Arc puzzle. Could the Mamoru Ishibashi-trained Meisho Tabaru finally break the duck? Last sighted landing a second successive Takarazuka Kinen, he has 57-year-old Japanese riding legend Yutaka Take in the saddle. Admire Terra completes the Japanese team. The Yasuo Tomomichi runner possesses stamina in abundance, but will he have the required class?
Last but not least, the Germans should never be written off in this contest. Previously successful with Star Appeal (1975), Danedream (2011), and Torquator Tasso (2021), this year’s sole German entry is the Andreas Suborics-trained Bright Light.
The 2026 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe goes under starters’ orders at 3:05 pm on Sunday 4th October.