For more than a century, it has become an unmissable event for horse racing enthusiasts. Every first Sunday in October, everyone meets at the Longchamps racecourse to attend or participate in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. This success is the result of a clever cocktail.
This is firstly due to the quality of the participants : to claim the title of greatest race, you must bring together the best horses in the world. And in this area, no race can compete with the pur-sang.
Diversity is also a key ingredient. When the race was created in 1920 in Paris, the creators of the Arc had a simple idea: allow everyone to participate, young people aged 3, old people aged 4 and over, boys and girls, French people and foreigners…
At the time, this proposal is innovative because we tend to be wary of foreigners, particularly English people, who are better than us. But that’s not all. To balance the chances between young and old, males and females, we give an advantage to weight to the less experienced and to young ladies.
Finally, there is perhaps one final imponderable, but very real, element: Paris and the Arc de Triomphe. Who can offer a photo finish in a garden as large and as beautiful as the Bois de Boulogne? Who can allow, from the stands, to have in the background the Eiffel Tower? This is indeed the prestigious race of Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Read more
