Eight-race series offering free supplementary for Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe unveiled

France Galop has unveiled a series of eight races which will offer a paid way into the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and aims to place Europe's premier all-aged race at the heart of efforts to reenergise the sport with the French public. 

The concept of the series – which offers a free supplementary entry worth €120,000 to any winner not already entered, or a refund of entry fees – was announced in February, along with the decision to bring the Arc trials meeting forward by a week in order to give more recovery time ahead of the big race, as well as to move away from direct competition with the Irish Champions Festival. 

All eight are established events in France, with no place in the line-up for races such as the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Juddmonte International or Japan's Takarazuka Kinen in year one of the concept

Arc 'win and you're in' races

June 1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, Chantilly
June 15 Prix de Diane Longines, Chantilly
June 29 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Saint-Cloud
July 13 Grand Prix de Paris, Longchamp
August 24 Sumbe Prix Jean Romanet, Deauville
September 7  Qatar Prix Vermeille, Qatar Prix Niel and Qatar Prix Foy, Longchamp

France Galop's Pierre Laperdrix presents the details of the new Arc races seriesCredit: Racing Post/Burton

Head of race programming Pierre Laperdrix said the accent had been placed on France because one of the key aims of the series was to give a clear narrative to the domestic audience through the year, starting with the two middle-distance Classics, the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club and Prix de Diane Longines. 

Laperdrix said: "The concept has been developed with the general public in France in mind, and has the aim of telling them the story of the road to the Arc, while still serving the interest of all the major international participants at the top level, since there is real added value to be earned if you win one of these Arc races."

With the exception of the Grand Prix de Paris, which already offers a wildcard entry into the Arc, the early races in the series will offer connections of the winner a 15-day entry window to have their horse added to the list of entries in the Arc.

France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine (second right) is flanked by Henri Pouret, Arnaud de Seyssel and Pierre LaperdrixCredit: Racing Post/Burton

In the case of the three races on Arc trials day, the fees will be waived for supplementing on the Wednesday before the Arc, while the winners of all eight events in the series will be immune from being balloted out of the maximum field of 24, regardless of their rating.  

France Galop president Guillaume de Saint-Seine said "This is a long-term vision which concerns both the number of people who visit the racecourse and the number that bet on racing. We want to speak of this in sporting terms which the public will understand, and we hope they will view the Arc trials meeting as being the semi-final which is played four weeks before the final. We hope that will attract more people and set the scene for the big day itself in a sporting sense."

Entries for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe close on Wednesday. 

Read more:

'Big as a bull' Los Angeles back with a bang and 16-1 for the Arc after riveting battle with White Birch 

Goliath and Calandagan unlikely to run in France this season as Francis Graffard laments 'damaging' exclusion of geldings from Arc 

Arc favourite to start off at York's May meeting as owners Juddmonte plot Bluestocking path to Longchamp

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