Moving Arc Trials Day in 2025 forward by a week to Sunday, 7 September has some method behind it. A full month before Europe’s richest horse race gives those putting their credentials on the line at Longchamp in Paris extra time to recover from their prep runs. These are the Prix Foy for older horses, Prix Vermeille for fillies and mares, and Prix Niel just for three-year-olds.
Each of the three races have plenty of big guns out to advertise their claims of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe glory back here on Sunday, 5 October. Victory in the Foy, Vermeille or Niel, or at least an encouraging run in defeat, is what connections will be looking for. As with any trial, it isn’t always necessarily the winner punters want to take out of these.
Therein lies the problem for our experts. Arc Trials Day is the last place any hopefuls for the big prize have to run, but that doesn’t mean winning is everything. Trainers of some horses will use these events to bring their charges on for the Arc itself. The key question is more often who needs to win to punch their ticket back here in four weeks’ time?
Just like the Prix du Moulin for milers, there are plenty of British and Irish raiders going on trial here. They take on strong home teams in the Foy, Vermeille and Niel, so cross-Channel form lines will end up tied together. French races get a bad press. Derided as starting at a crawl, then turning into a sprint in the home straight, such tactics could prove perilous here as our experts assess these events in detail below.
Arc Trials Day 2025 Preview for Sunday, 7 September
1:33 – 1m 4f Group 2 Prix Foy
⭕ #Chantilly – Grand Prix de Chantilly (Gr.II)
Arrow Eagle (M4 Gleneagles) brille dans ce Grand Prix en hommage à l’Aga Khan IV. Il décroche un premier Gr.2 sous les couleurs de Mme W. Spanner, pour l’entraînement de Jean-Claude Rouget.
Sibayan prend la 2e place devant Junko. pic.twitter.com/50raGcw0CB— France Galop (@francegalop) June 1, 2025
He has since added the Prix Ganay and Prix d’Ispahan at shorter trips to his CV after landing the Grand Prix de Paris and Prix Niel over course and distance last term. One who has improved since stepping up to a mile-and-a-half this season, however, is ARROW EAGLE. Jean-Claude Rouget’s four-year-old has twice beaten Sibayan, a gelding who cannot run in the Arc, but has advertised their form in buckets since.
Arrow Eagle landed the Group 3 Prix d’Hedouville at this track and trip, then followed-up in the Grand Prix de Chantilly. Subsequent to that, Sibayan has landed the Prix Maurice de Nieuil and Grand Prix de Deauville in style. Both have improved since last term. Ed Walker runs Prix Dollar second Almaqam in France again, but goes up in trip this far for the first time (alongside Map Of Stars). He has claims too, especially on his Brigadier Gerard defeat of Ombudsman.
Japan send globetrotting Byzantine Dream over to Europe following his successful raid on the Red Sea Turf Handicap in Saudi Arabia over the winter. Whether Oisin Murphy’s mount has the gears for a mile-and-a-half remains to be seen, however. Veteran Iresine has won the Prix Foy twice before and placed in two other editions, but is surely vulnerable to horses half his age now.
3:25 – 1m 4f Group 1 Prix Vermeille (Fillies & Mares)
Christophe Ferland’s filly landed the Prix Corrida from re-opposing runner-up Survie, who has often shaped like she wants to step up to a mile-and-a-half. Aventure wasn’t disgraced when again runner-up last time, but in open company to Calandagan in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Where these older fillies look vulnerable, however, is in conceding 8lb weight for age to three-year-olds.
Prix de Diane heroine GEZORA built on her Prix Saint-Alary success here in the springtime with that Chantilly Group 1 glory. She ran out a length too good for re-opposing second Bedtime Story in France’s equivalent of The Oaks. Both could benefit from going up in trip, however, so Whirl who just didn’t last home at Epsom over the mile-and-a-half has dangers inside and out of her own stable.
4:00 – 1m 4f Group 2 Prix Niel
Andre Fabre’s other runner has William Buick back aboard after a disappointing display in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville when only third. Cualificar needs to recapture his French Derby form quickly but his dam, Qualify, won The Oaks, so there’s stamina in his pedigree for this longer trip. Aidan O’Brien runs Swagman and potential pacemaker Aftermath, but neither have run for some time.
That’s a concern, but son Joseph could have a contender in Tennessee Stud, who somewhat surprisingly runs at Longchamp rather than going for the St Leger next weekend. Placed in both the Epsom and Irish Derbies, he won on softer ground here in France at the backend of last season. Tennessee Stud is a grinder, so there’s a worry this won’t be run to suit, but he brings Classic form to the table.
Qatar Racing run Grand Prix de Clairefontaine winner Parachutiste up markedly in grade. These are much deeper waters for Graffard’s charge, however, and he’ll need some serious improvement to land a blow on the market principals. George Scott sends Bay City Roller over to France again up in trip, but the 2024 Champagne Stakes scorer’s latest effort at York behind Almaqam leaves a lot to be desired.
