Every October, the world’s most elite thoroughbreds and jockeys converge on Paris for one of the most prestigious weekends in racing. Named after the iconic monument that embodies French grandeur, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is the highlight of the two-day meeting at Paris Longchamp Racecourse – a race taken by storm by 2024 winner, Bluestocking.
Friday
The wait is over and after checking in with the Eurostar for the short morning journey to Paris, it gave a perfect opportunity for everybody to socialise ahead of their weekend away in France. The relaxing nature of the Eurostar gives everyone a chance to meet each other, and discussions were aplenty about who will win the feature race on Sunday.
After arriving at Paris Gare Du Nord station, private transfers to the hotel in Chantilly were waiting and it was a seamless transition. Upon arrival at the Best Western Plus Hotel du Parc in Chantilly, everybody received a warm welcome which also included a visit from legendary trainer, John Hammond. John went through everybody’s questions on the weekend’s action at Longchamp and even told a few stories about his best days in the training ranks. The rest of Friday evening was spent at leisure with many enjoying the exquisite bars and restaurants that the town had to offer.
Saturday
Saturday proved a brilliant day to explore the beautiful surroundings of Chantilly. The morning was spent enjoying a complimentary breakfast as part of the tour package. After breakfast, the Chantilly Chateau was a popular option to visit with its magnificent stature and exquisite lawns. The Great Stables gave people a chance to immerse themselves in the rich equestrian heritage of Chantilly. Known as one of the largest and most impressive stables in the world, the Great Stables offered visitors a glimpse into the region’s deep-rooted history with horses.
In the evening, a table was booked at the Le Vertugadin in Chantilly which gave those in attendance a real chance to experience the brilliance of the French cuisine. With dishes crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as guests enjoyed their meal which was accompanied by excellent table service by the staff of the restaurant.
Sunday (Raceday)
Waking up to your alarm clock had never felt so good knowing that today was raceday! Guests, as had been the case over the weekend, enjoyed their breakfast before congregating together ahead of the short trip to Paris Longchamp racecourse. Despite the weather looking particularly moody, this didn’t halt the atmosphere and on the trip to the racecourse, everybody had a good chance to finalise their selections for the day.
After a warm welcome at the track, we were lucky to be joined by Amanda Zetterholm for her rundown of the days action. Amanda, who trains in Chantilly alongside Noel George, has achieved notable successes in the training ranks, including Il Est Francais who plenty were keen to ask about ahead of his King George bid on Boxing Day!
The racing kickstarted with an enthralling finish in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac where short-priced favourite Zarigana was run down in the final few yards by stablemate Vertical Blue. The roar as they turned into the straight was a sound to cherish and gave everybody a feel of what was to come.
Despite being in France, the following two races saw the English and Irish raiders land the spoils as Camille Pissarro and Makarova won impressively, much to the delight of a few of our guests! Legendary French jockey, Christophe Soumillon brought up a quickfire double on the card when Al Ghadeer won the Arabian World Cup, but attention quickly turned to the big race of the weekend, a race where the world stopped to watch, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
As the runners broke evenly and settled into their early positions, Los Angeles took them along under Ryan Moore and as they swung into the final 700 metres, all bar a few looked to have winning chances. However, Rossa Ryan, stalking in behind, pounced aboard Bluestocking who produced an electric turn of foot to win by over a length and take the crown back to England.
The final few races gave everybody a final chance to appreciate the magnificent nature of Paris Longchamp before heading back via private transfer to the hotel in Chantilly.
Monday (Stable Visit, Chantilly Gallops and Departure Day)
A Monday morning like no other. Guests were taken via private transfer to Arc-winning trainer, Nicolas Clement’s. Nicolas greeted our guests with open arms before giving everybody a fascinating insight into what it takes to train these magnificent racehorses to success at the highest level. Everybody then had the chance to visit the famous Chantilly Gallops which saw horses in their preparations in the most exclusive of environments.
Transfers were then on hand to take everybody back to Paris Gare Du Nord before departing back to St. Pancras International following a magnificent weekend in France.
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