The waiting is almost over. Sixteen horses have been declared for the 2026 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday, October 4th, with last year’s winner Daryz heading a deep field containing leading challengers from France, Britain, Ireland, Japan and Germany.
The draw has added another layer to an already fascinating race, with Daryz landing stall five, Kalpana starting alongside him in six, and Thundering On well placed in three.
At the other end, Maltese Cross must break from 11, Japan’s Admire Terra and Meisho Tabaru are in 12 and 13, while Diamond Necklace faces the biggest test of all from stall 16.
Here is our look at all 16 runners before making our final three selections.
Daryz
Last year’s winner is the obvious starting point and deserves to head the betting, going off as the race favourite.
Daryz has won the Prix Ganay, Prix d’Ispahan and Prix Foy during another excellent season in France, with his only 2026 defeat coming when third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
He loves Longchamp, stays the mile and a half and has secured a very useful stall-five draw.
Daryz has fewer questions to answer than almost anything else in the field, but at a short price he also needs everything to fall into place again.
Then again, no colt has won consecutive Arcs since Alleged in 1977 and 1978.
Saddadd
Saddadd arrives after taking a major step forward to win the Grosser Preis von Baden in Germany.
Roger Varian’s runner has improved considerably since his handicap days and is still relatively lightly raced over a mile and a half.
This is another sizeable increase in class, but previous Arc winners Danedream and Torquator Tasso both used Baden as part of their route to Longchamp. He may be underestimated at a big price.
Chestnut Rocket
One of the biggest outsiders in the field and facing a difficult task based on his form so far.
Chestnut Rocket does have the benefit of stall two, which could allow Marvin Grandin to save ground and find a good early position.
Even so, he needs a huge career best to trouble Europe’s leading middle-distance horses.
Admire Terra
Japan’s first runner comes to Paris with proven stamina but faces the familiar problem of an awkward Arc draw.
Stall 12 is far from ideal, and Cristian Demuro may need either to drop in or use some early energy finding a better position.
Japan has been waiting for an Arc victory for decades, and Admire Terra would be one of the more surprising horses to finally end that run.
Meisho Tabaru
Of the two Japanese challengers, Meisho Tabaru may be the more interesting.
Yutaka Take gets another chance to chase the race that has escaped both him and Japan throughout his remarkable career.
Meisho Tabaru has serious ability, but his stamina over a mile and a half remains a question, and stall 13 makes the task even harder.
Arrow Eagle
Arrow Eagle provides one of the great stories of the 2026 Arc as Jean-Claude Rouget prepares for one final attempt at the race before ending his training career.
He finished sixth at 105/1 in last year’s Arc and is a half-brother to Rouget’s unbeaten 2023 winner Ace Impact.
Stall 14 is not helpful, and another huge effort will be required, but he has already shown that he can outperform market expectations at Longchamp.
Bay City Roller
Few horses in the field would welcome rain more than Bay City Roller. His ten-length Coronation Cup victory showed how dangerous he can be when conditions suit, but faster ground takes away one of his biggest strengths.
He also has stall 15 to overcome and was comfortably beaten by Daryz in the Prix Foy. If Longchamp remains quick, his chance becomes much harder to support.
Minnie Hauk
Twelve months ago Minnie Hauk came within a head of winning the Arc, but her 2026 campaign has been far less convincing.
Although there were signs of improvement when she finished third behind Kalpana in the Yorkshire Oaks, it may not be enough.
William Buick takes the ride from stall ten. She clearly has the ability to compete at this level, but she needs to get much closer to her 2025 best.
Kalpana
One of the strongest challengers to Daryz and arguably the horse whose chance improved most after the draw.
Kalpana has developed into an outstanding five-year-old, winning the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot before following up in the Yorkshire Oaks.
She was only seventh in last year’s Arc, but that does not tell the full story as she never enjoyed a smooth race.
Stall six is one of the most successful starting positions in modern Arc history and gives Colin Keane plenty of options. If she gets a cleaner run this time, she could be very hard to beat.
Friendly Soul
Friendly Soul is one of the more interesting horses at a bigger price. She earned her place with victory in the Prix Vermeille over the Arc course and distance, producing the sort of performance that demands respect.
Stall seven gives James Doyle a good starting position, and she already knows exactly what is required around Longchamp.
There are runners with stronger overall records, but at around 22/1 she could be one of the most interesting each-way options.
Varandir
Varandir may still be improving fast enough to make his presence felt. He finished close behind Maltese Cross in the Grand Prix de Paris before returning to Longchamp to win the Prix Niel over the Arc course and distance.
The three-year-old has now won four of his five starts and starts from stall four.
Francis Graffard may have the favourite in Daryz, but his second runner should not be ignored.
Benvenuto Cellini
The draw has brought Benvenuto Cellini back into the conversation because the Irish Derby winner starts from stall one and Ryan Moore has chosen to ride him rather than Diamond Necklace or Minnie Hauk.
His recent Prix Niel run was disappointing, though, and he was previously behind Kalpana in the King George.
There is major ability there, but he needs to put his latest performance behind him.
Bright Light
Germany’s representative is another huge outsider, although his recent efforts have been respectable.
He finished third behind Saddadd in the Grosser Preis von Baden after previously running well in Berlin, and the mile-and-a-half trip is not a concern.
Stall eight is fine. Whether he has the class to win an Arc is the bigger question.
Maltese Cross
One of the most exciting three-year-olds in Europe and a major threat if his season has not taken too much out of him.
Maltese Cross finished second in the Derby before winning the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp and then beating Christmas Day in the Great Voltigeur at York.
The Grand Prix de Paris victory is particularly important because it confirms that he handles the Arc course.
Stall 11 is not ideal, but Tom Marquand has a horse with enough tactical speed to find a position. He remains firmly on the shortlist.
Thundering On
The Oaks winner could be one of the most dangerous runners in the field.
Thundering On was excellent at Epsom and returned from a summer break with another strong performance in the Blandford Stakes at the Curragh.
As a three-year-old filly she receives a valuable weight allowance from the older horses, and stall three could hardly have worked out better.
Joseph O’Brien’s runner looks capable of producing another career best when it matters.
Diamond Necklace
Few horses will attract more debate than Diamond Necklace. She won her first five races, including the French 1,000 Guineas, Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes, before suffering her first defeat in the Prix Jean Romanet.
She now steps up to a mile and a half for the first time.
The bigger concern is stall 16. Christophe Soumillon has a major tactical decision to make almost immediately and cannot afford to lose too much ground.
The ability is not in doubt, but she has been handed one of the hardest starting positions.
2026 Prix de l’Arc Odds
*Odds from Betfred correct at time of publication
| No. | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daryz | M Barzalona | F-H Graffard | 7/4 |
| 9 | Kalpana | Colin Keane | Andrew Balding | 4/1 |
| 15 | Thundering On | Pierre-Charles Boudot | Joseph O’Brien | 15/2 |
| 14 | Maltese Cross | Tom Marquand | William Haggas | 8/1 |
| 11 | Varandir | C Lecoeuvre | F-H Graffard | 12/1 |
| 12 | Benvenuto Cellini | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien | 16/1 |
| 16 | Diamond Necklace | C Soumillon | Aidan O’Brien | 16/1 |
| 8 | Minnie Hauk | William Buick | Aidan O’Brien | 20/1 |
| 10 | Friendly Soul | James Doyle | J & T Gosden | 22/1 |
| 5 | Meisho Tabaru | Yutaka Take | Mamoru Ishibashi | 33/1 |
| 7 | Bay City Roller | Oisin Murphy | George Scott | 33/1 |
| 2 | Saddadd | Ray Dawson | Roger Varian | 40/1 |
| 4 | Admire Terra | C Demuro | Yasuo Tomomichi | 100/1 |
| 13 | Bright Light | B Marie | A Suborics | 100/1 |
| 6 | Arrow Eagle | I Mendizabal | Jean-Claude Rouget | 125/1 |
| 3 | Chestnut Rocket | M Grandin | Mme A Karkosa | 200/1 |
2026 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Predictions
The draw has strengthened the cases of several leading contenders, but three horses stand out for different reasons.
🏆 Winner: Kalpana
Kalpana gets the vote. She is a better horse than the one who finished seventh here last year, arrives after winning two major Group 1 races, and has landed stall six.
She has the experience, the stamina and enough tactical speed to secure a good position without being forced into an early battle.
Daryz sets the standard, but at the prices Kalpana appeals as the horse most capable of stopping his attempt at consecutive Arcs.
⚠️ Main Danger: Daryz
It would be no surprise at all if Daryz simply wins again.
His Longchamp record is outstanding; his Prix Foy victory showed that he remains in top form, and stall five gives Mickael Barzalona an excellent starting point.
The concern is whether quicker ground reduces some of his advantage, particularly against horses such as Kalpana and Thundering On.
Still, anyone wanting to win the 2026 Arc will probably have to beat him.
Outsider: Friendly Soul
At a much bigger price, Friendly Soul makes plenty of appeal.
She has already won the Prix Vermeille over the same course and distance, has been drawn well in stall seven, and arrives at Longchamp in form.
The Arc regularly produces horses who run much better than their odds suggest, and Friendly Soul has enough in her favour to be one of the more interesting outsiders in the 2026 field.
BETFRED
