Paris Longchamp

Home of L'Arc De Triomphe

There are two finishing posts in action at Paris Longchamp racecourse and a further one to mark the finish of the sprint course. Added to that, there’s a false straight just before the final stretch. It’s no surprise that the course has been known to catch a jockey out every now and again.

There’s no uncertainty when it comes to the quality of the racing though, nor the location of the track.

It lies within the Bois de Boulogne, on the Western side of Paris. The Eiffel Tower is just visible in the distance; the landscape is picturesque and the course is a perfect example of the French style.

It caught the eye of Manet and Degas during the impressionist era, leaving us with some incredible depictions of racecourse scenes from the 19th century (see above).

Most of the old grandstand was replaced during the renovations in the 1960s. A small part of the original grandstand is protected by law as a historical monument, and remains in place today.

Further renovations took place in 2018. The redevelopment saw the production of the four-storey stand, designed by the world renowned architect Dominique Perrault. The stand provides 360-degree views across the city and has a capacity of 10,000. The multi-million euro building project meant that the course had to be temporarily closed in late 2015. Many of Longchamp's major races were moved to other tracks, the most noteworthy of these being the Group One Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, better known as the 'Arc', which took place at Chantilly for two years.

The remarkable tree-lined paddock and windmill are left unchanged, as are the five tracks that make up ParisLongchamp, which allow for 46 possible race starts.

Following the launch of these changes, Longchamp became
ParisLongchamp.

The Arc was first staged at Longchamp in 1920 and has since become the most prestigious horserace in Europe and, possibly, the world. These days the Arc weekend sees the arrival of more than 50,000 spectators, many of whom are British and Irish.

Usually held on the first weekend of October, the race is for 3-year-olds and older, and takes place over one and a half miles (2,400m). The weekend features a total of nine Group 1 races, over which many stars have run in the past.

This year we see some of the season's favourites go head-to-head…

The Charlie Appleby pair, Hurricane Lane and Adayar run, as do Aidan O’Brien’s Snowfall and Love.

Don't miss it.