It may not be the official best race in the world but winning at Longchamp still confers a status little else can match

When France-Galop announced in June that geldings will be allowed to run in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe from 2027, there was an underlying sense that action was needed to maintain the race’s status as Europe’s showpiece event. The Arc was officially the World’s Best Horse Race in five of the seven years after the award was introduced in 2015, but has fallen short of rivals including the Japan Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic since 2021 at a time when several geldings, including the French-trained Calandagan, have been among the world’s top-rated middle-distance horses.

Yet even a brief glance through the leading contenders for this year’s race at Longchamp on Sunday offers reminders that the Arc has a heritage and mystique that will always set it apart among the championship events around the globe. The names of the winners, both equine and human, retain their currency from one generation to the next.