2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe News - Quotes From Connections

Jon Vine

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Last updated: Fri 02 Oct 2026 13:37

Jon Vine 3 hours ago

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Key quotes ahead of the 2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
This historic race will be run at Longchamp on Sunday 4th October
Read quotes from Francis Graffard, Aidan O'Brien, Andrew Balding and more on our website

The Qatar Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe at Longchamp. (Getty)

Arc Quotes

Francis Graffard (Daryz)
Francis Graffard (Varandir)
Andrew Balding (Kalpana)
William Haggas (Maltese Cross)
Aidan O'Brien (Benvenuto Cellini)
Aidan O'Brien (Diamond Necklace)
Aidan O'Brien (Minnie Hauk)
Joseph O'Brien (Thundering On)
John Gosden (Friendly Soul)
Roger Varian (Saddadd)
George Scott (Bay City Roller)
Mamoru Ishibashi (Meisho Tabaru)
Yasuo Tomomichi (Admire Terra)
Andrea Suborics (Bright Light)

One of the world's most prestigious horse races takes place on Sunday, as 16 of the sport's finest middle-distance runners take part in the 2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Here are the quotes from the connections of the horses who'll run in Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

2026 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Key Quotes

Francis Graffard (Daryz)

I think Daryz is a ten-furlong good-ground horse with a massive turn of foot, and I think the only reason he won the Arc on soft ground over a mile and a half is because he’s a very good horse.

I really prefer him on good ground because he can really produce his turn of foot. I’m really happy that the race will be run on good ground.

His work went well. There were the three horses plus a lead horse, and Daryz sat in last before coming through to join them under a handy ride from Mickael Barzalona.

He had a normal blow afterwards and Mickael was very happy with him, and found him very athletic; more so than before the Prix Foy. So the horse is in great shape physically, and it was exactly what I wanted to see from his last piece of work before the Arc.

In terms of his physical attributes and his turn of foot, I think he’s the best I’ve had so far.

Francis Graffard (Varandir)

Varandir was quite immature, both mentally and physically. He is a horse who sweats quite quickly because I think he was a little soft mentally. We followed a fairly traditional programme with him. He ran in the same maiden as Daryz did last year at Longchamp and won very well. We progressed gradually.

That led us to take our chance in the Grand Prix de Paris with a horse who was still quite immature. He ran very well. He finished fourth, very close up. But we saw a real change in him over the summer. The horse became more supple physically and mentally, and I think he is better now. He has really progressed. I went into the Prix Niel with greater confidence in the horse, knowing that he had really improved, and he confirmed that in the Niel, which he won very well.

In conclusion, he is a three-year-old who has just won one of the trials for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and who is still improving. He fully deserves to take his chance and to be competitive. You mentioned that he was very immature, mentally and physically, at the beginning of the year.

undefined — French jockey Mickael Barzalona rides Daryz (front) ahead of Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillon riding Minnie Hauk (rear) to win the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. (Getty)

Andrew Balding (Kalpana)

She's very different this year. Last year we had to give her plenty of work because she was always sort of carrying excess condition. This year she's just sort of sleeker and leaner and fitter for some reason, I have no idea why.

It might be that just her metabolism at her age has improved, I really don't know. So she's actually required less work this year and I think she's been better as a result.

She seems to be every bit as good on quicker ground. And I'm not sure a mile and a half - as she is at the moment - in deep ground is really playing to her strengths particularly.

William Haggas (Maltese Cross)

All you can do is get them there in one piece. His work is done now and he's in the best form we can have him in.

Everything's a danger, but if you start worrying about the opposition, and read that so and so is being supplemented into the race, you get nowhere.

Daryz has done it before, so has to be respected and his trainer says he’s in good form, so he’s one to beat. Quite how Kalpana, who is a bloody good horse, is 7-1 is beyond me.

Everyone wants to win the Arc, so hopefully we can give it a shot. To be in there with a chance is fantastic for us and anyone. Anyone who has a runner in this race will be thrilled to be involved, and someone will win, but I just hope it’s us.

I don’t think Maltese Cross has the turn of speed Sea Of Class had. She was a brilliant filly, and she was the best chance we’ve ever had, but this horse is going the right way, physically, like she was.

Aidan O'Brien (Benvenuto Cellini)

Benvenuto Cellini is a tough horse. Diamond Necklace was also prepared for the Classics, like him. Obviously, it is difficult for a 3-year-old when you prepare him early for the Classics and then he has to continue his season throughout the year. But he is a tough horse and everything has gone well with him.

At the time he was beaten, we felt that all the horses in the yard were going through a little infection. That now seems to be behind us and the horses are running much better.

In the Prix Niel, we had a pacemaker and the field did not follow him. So it turned into a slowly run trial. He needs 2,400 metres run at an even pace. We think that probably explains part of his performance. I do not think he needs everything to go perfectly to produce his best. He is versatile. He is a horse with a big stride and a lovely action who stays 2,400 metres very well.

When a horse stays the distance very well, ideally you want an even pace, a good gallop. That is what we saw in the King George. He ran a very big race and still finished very well. So I think an Arc run at an even pace would suit him very well.

Aidan O'Brien (Diamond Necklace)

Obviously, we cannot be certain that Diamond Necklace will stay 2,400 metres. But fillies of this type have done it over the years. We also had one eye on America and we did not want to stretch her.

Sometimes, when you run over 2,400 metres for the first time, it can be a very hard race, even if the horse wins and stays the distance. If we go to the Arc, we still will not know whether she stays the distance until she does it. But there is a chance that she will stay. When a filly of this quality stays 2,400 metres, she can be very, very good.

It is quite possible that she ran again a little too quickly after Goodwood. The ground was also a little softer than we thought it was going to be and Christophe (Ferland, Ed) had his filly (Aventure) in very good form. It is also possible that I had not been hard enough on her in training. I was looking for a race that could bridge the gap between Goodwood and Arc weekend. And we did not want to run over 2,400 metres in a trial. We wanted to stay over 2,000 metres. That is why she did not run in the Vermeille. So perhaps it was a combination of several things.

Aidan O'Brien (Minnie Hauk)

The only thing that has been a little difficult this year has been some issues with her feet. But we were very happy with her the last time and, so far, everything is going according to plan.

As you said, the Arc has always been the target. She probably has never reached her best level before the end of this year. We did not have the best version of her before the end of the season. But Arc weekend has always been the target and the plan has always been for her not to reach peak form before then. And we were very happy with her last run.

She has gone off track a few times this year, but we are happy that we have managed to get her back on track. Obviously, last year she won her three Group 1s on the way to the Arc. But that was against 3-year-olds and those races perhaps were not as competitive as the ones she has contested this year.

Joseph O'Brien (Thundering On)

We feel as though her attributes are suitable to a race like the Arc. She is a stayer that has speed who relaxes very well and she has a turn of foot. Those are the attributes that would enable her to compete in the Arc and we think she will enjoy going back up to a mile and a half.

John Gosden (Friendly Soul)

She has taken a step forward every run this season and has been in great form since the Vermeille, very well in herself and training great at home.

Longchamp is obviously a place she loves, she has won both her Group Ones there, one over a mile and a quarter and one over the Arc distance.

We’ve been fortunate to be drawn seven and hopefully she can use that draw to the best of her advantage. Seven is in and around where you want to be and you can be unlucky with the draw at Longchamp, but thankfully she hasn’t been.

She’s an exceptional filly and it was an incredibly sporting decision by George Strawbridge to keep her in training, let alone run her in the Arc.

She’s had a rather unusual season this season, but it was brilliant it all worked out in the Vermeille and hopefully she can run another nice race on Sunday.

Roger Varian (Saddadd)

I think no doubt he's under the radar, and we don't mind that. The question he has to answer is whether he's good enough. It's a strong renewal, and we'll find out if he's good enough on Sunday afternoon, but I'm quite confident he'll outrun his odds.

I do think the favourite will be hard to beat, but there are multiple Group 1 winners lining up against each other. What works in our favour is that he's not had a busy summer. After the Coral-Eclipse, he had an easy time, and for this time of year, he's in the best shape he could be.

The style of his win (In Germany), knowing he got the trip well, showed he's got improvement in him and that there should be more to come.

George Scott (Bay City Roller)

The Arc is the pinnacle of world horse racing for many people and it will be proud moment for all of us involved in the horse to be running in it. It’s such a unique race to be involved in and I can’t wait.

He just seems to be going from strength to strength and he’s a really admirable horse isn’t he, just consistent. I have resigned myself to the fact it is going to be good ground, but I’m really hoping it will be slower than trials day as it was quick that day.

He will definitely run in the Arc and go to the Champion Stakes afterwards as he always takes his races well. He can back up off a tight run and the plan is to go to the Arc, then Ascot and maybe the Breeders’ Cup as well.

Mamoru Ishibashi (Meisho Tabaru)

The project began last year, in 2025, when the horse won the Takarazuka Kinen. Together with the owner, we had decided that the horse would remain in Japan for the autumn races in 2025. But we had also said that, the following year, if everything went well, we could take on the challenge of the Arc. We followed that programme and that is why we are here today.

Meisho Tabaru has often had a lot of time between his races. We thought about the question and discussed it a lot. We even considered running in a prep race. But, in the end, we felt there was no problem with going directly to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after the Takarazuka Kinen. So I don’t think it is a problem.

Last week, when he experienced the Longchamp track, I was not completely satisfied with what I saw in the footage. I did not see exactly the horse I wanted to see. That is why, over the past few days, we have tried to change certain things in his work. That alone allowed me to see the horse becoming a little more serious. Today, I had the feeling that he had become more accustomed to his surroundings. I think he is doing well.

He worked this morning and I thought he was already more in racing mode. He was keener and more focused.

Yasuo Tomomichi (Admire Terra)

Admire Terra arrived in France around three weeks ago. Thanks to the help of France Galop, the entire team here and Satoshi Kobayashi, we have been able to carry out a very good preparation.

This is my third participation in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. On my two previous attempts, I brought two very high-quality horses over from Japan. I learned a great deal from those two experiences. In particular, they led me this time to look for a horse that could really adapt to French ground, because racing in France is difficult.

This year, we really looked for a horse who might be better able to adapt to Longchamp. Among the horses we had available, Admire Terra seemed to us to be the best candidate. I think he has the qualities required to adapt, particularly because of his action and stamina. We obviously obtained the owner’s agreement, and it is a challenge that we are taking on with the entire team.

On my first two attempts in the Arc, I came with horses who were very highly regarded in Japan. But this time, Admire Terra has more experience. What matters is his power, his experience and, above all, his ability to adapt.

Andrea Suborics (Bright Light)

He had a few places in Group One races. He finished third in Baden-Baden on fast ground, and he was the fastest in the final furlong. And he was just beaten a head in the Group One in Hoppegarten (Grosser Preis von Berlin).

He's the highest-rated German horse, three-year-old at the moment, and now we run in the Arc. Of course, the quality in the Arc is really, really high, but if a bit of rain is coming it will help us and I still think he will run a very good race.