Category: Big Races

The first horse to run in the Kentucky and Epsom Derbies and, indeed, the first British-trained horse to run in ‘The Race for the Roses’, was Bold Arrangement, owned by Anthony and Raymond Richards and trained, in Newmarket, by Clive Brittain. Brittain was renowned for his adventurous, pioneering spirit and, although often accused of ’tilting at windmills’, became synonymous with high-profile success at home and abroad.

Bold Arrangement was sired by Persian Bold, a smart performer between a mile and a mile-and-a-quarter, including on turf. He won four of his nine starts as a juvenile, including the Group Three Solario Stakes, over 7 furlongs, at Sandown Park, under Pat Eddery. After a modest three-year-old debut at Doncaster in March, 1986, Bold Arrangement headed to Lexington, Kentucky for his first start on dirt, the Blue Grass Stakes, over nine furlongs, at Keeneland. Once again ridden by Pat Eddery, the colt came from way off the pace to finish third, beaten three-quarters of a length.

At Churchill Downs, Bold Arrangement was ridden by Kentucky Derby veteran Chris McCarron, deputising for the suspended Eddery, and sent off at 8/1. After four furlongs, Bold Arrangement was only eleventh of the sixteen runners, but loomed large leaving the far turn and kept on stoutly to finish second, beaten 2¼ lengths, behind Ferdinand. McCarron kept the ride at Epsom a month later but, sent off at 12/1, Bold Arrangement could only manage fourteenth of the sixteen finishers behind controversial winner Shahrastani.

Traditionally staged on the first Sunday in October at Longchamp Racecourse in the Bois de Boulogne, west of Paris, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is one of the highlights of the international racing calendar. Run over a mile-and-a-half and open to horses aged three years and upwards of either gender, except geldings, the ‘Arc’ is a prestigious Group One contest, which regularly atrracts the crème de la crème of middle-distance from all over the world.

The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in 1920 and has been sponsored by Qatar Racing, under the auspices of Sheikh Fahad Al Thani, of the Qatari Royal family, since 2008. It is, in fact, the most valuable race run on the Flat anywhere in Europe, offering €5 million in total prize money, of which €2.86 million goes to the winner. Horses aged four years and upwards carry 9st 5lb, three-year-olds carry 8st 12lb and fillies and mares receive a 3lb allowance. Consequently, for horses of the ‘Classic’ generation – that is, three-year-old colts and fillies – British trainers often consider the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe as a viable alternative to the St. Leger Stakes, which is run over two furlongs further at Doncaster in September.

All told, eight horses – in chronological order, Ksar (1921, 1922), Motrico (1930, 1932), Corrida (1936, 1937), Tantieme (1950, 1951), Ribot (1955, 1956), Alleged (1977, 1978), Treve (2013, 2014) and Enable (2017, 2018) – have won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe twice, but no horse has won the race three times.