France Galop rules against new Longchamp next year

The Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will be staged at an alternative home for a second time in October 2017 – with 2016 host Chantilly the likely choice – after France Galop's administrative council accepted on Monday the timeframe for the redevelopment of Longchamp was too tight for the race to return to its traditional venue as planned.

As reported in the Racing Post last month, the governing body's executive branch has harboured serious doubts about the feasibility of staging the 2017 Arc at Longchamp, ever since new appointments were made in the wake of the return of Edouard de Rothschild to the role of president last November.

Dominique Perrault's design for the grandstand at Longchamp, which will host its first Arc in 2018Credit: France Galop / DPA

With the builders Bouygues not due to hand over the keys until September 21 – less than a fortnight before the Arc – the pressure of staging the race and welcoming 60,000 spectators to a completely untried venue has been deemed too great. The committee was told building work is currently proceeding to schedule.