"That is a bit dubious" - Arc draw to be unveiled in Thursday evening's opening ceremony
For the 2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the draw for starting positions will not be made public until Thursday evening, several hours after declarations close. This late announcement poses challenges for bookmakers, who must manage market prices without knowing the all-important draw. Given the statistical significance of stall positions—especially those with single-figure gates—bookmakers like Entain's James Knight express concerns over betting fairness and possible rumor circulation. The key recommendation is for all parties to ensure transparency and integrity in the process to maintain public confidence.
- Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe draw to be announced hours after field confirmation
- Bookmakers face uncertainty, with single-figure stalls shown to be crucial for winners
- Delayed announcement raises transparency and market integrity concerns
Bookmakers have reacted to the news that the draw for the 2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won't be unveiled until Thursday evening, several hours after the field has officially been confirmed.
The declarations will close for the 2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Thursday at 9:30am. For most races in the UK and across Europe, the draw is made shortly after the field has been confirmed and stall placings are announced thereafter.
Things will be a little different with this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. The draw will still be made when the runners have officially been declared, but the starting positions won't be announced until Thursday evening, when they will be unveiled during the opening ceremony at ParisLongchamp.
This situation provides a significant stumbling block for the bookmakers. James Knight, racing trading director at Entain, spoke to the Racing Post to outline the procedure for Ladbrokes and Coral.
"We'll go back up with the market after the declarations but with a generic set of prices that will change after the draw (is revealed), because it's clear that it is a significant draw race nowadays," Knight said.
"If we can watch it we'll probably change it live. The draw is a key thing in this race."
The general public have been assured that the starting positions for Sunday's Arc will be allocated electronically behind closed doors, under the supervision of an independent auditor, straight after the close of declarations. However, the delay between the confirmation of the field and the draw being announced does give plenty of time for rumours to spread, and horses who appear to have been drawn low will surely come in for support.
Knight continued: "That is a bit dubious. I don't know who would know, but if there were people who found out the draw and we started seeing money for various horses and they turned out to be drawn one, two and three, it wouldn't be a great look. It'll be quite interesting to see what actually happens."
"I think it's something we'll just manage and if we did see loads of money for certain horses we'll shorten them based on the weight of money."
The draw has become incredibly significant as far as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is concerned. Since Longchamp reopened in 2018, only Torquator Tasso has won the Arc from wider than stall eight.
Last year, Daryz beat Minnie Hauk and Sosie, and they were drawn in stalls two, one and three respectively. Almost 80% of the first four past the post in the Arc came from single-figure stalls, and horses drawn between gates one and five have occupied at least two of the first four positions in the last seven renewals of Europe's most prestigious Flat race.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Draw Stats
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2024 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
| 2023 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 5 |
| 2022 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 4 |
| 2021 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
| 2020 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| 2019 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| 2018 | 6 | 15 | 9 | 13 |
Top Betting Sites
Betting offers
Upcoming Events
29 September 2026
- NAP Of The Day -
- Horse Racing
03 October 2026
- 2026 Sun Chariot Stakes -
- Horse Racing
04 October 2026
- 2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe -
- Horse Racing
Load More
