Daryz won the Gr.1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe over 2,400m, while HM Alchahine claimed the Qatar Arabian World Cup on the final day of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Weekend at ParisLongchamp on Sunday. HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al-Thani attended the feature day.
HH Sheikh Abdullah presented the trophies to the winning connections of the Gr.1 PA Qatar Arabian World Cup, in the presence of QREC Chairman Hamad bin Abdulrahman al-Attiyah and France Galop Chairman Guillaume de Saint-Seine.
HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani subsequently bestowed the silverware for the Gr.1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, attended by HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani, France Galop Chairman Guillaume de Saint-Seine and France Galop Vice Chairman Arnaud de Seyssel. The exceptional 10-race card featured eight supporting races, including five additional Group 1 contests.
Daryz does it again
Daryz won the Gr.1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over 2400m won by one and a quarter lengths. A high-quality field of 16 lined up, in a race open to horses aged three and upwards.
Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, ridden by Mickael Barzalona, and owned and bred by Aga Khan Studs, the four-year-old colt won the race for the second year in a row.
He had won the Gr.2 Prix Foy over 2400m at ParisLongchamp on his previous start. This year he had also won the Gr.1 Prix Ganay and the Gr.1 Prix d'Ispahan. He is now a two-time winner of the Arc, and a four-time Gr.1 winner.
“The beginning of the race was quite tough, and you need a big horse to get through it. I was confident that if I could get him into a comfortable racing rhythm and keep him out of trouble, he would be able to make the difference,” said Barzalona.
HM Alchahine shines in Gr.1 PA Qatar Arabian World Cup
HM Alchahine, a six-year-old Purebred Arabian horse, won the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Arabian World Cup over 2000m, prevailing by by three quarters of a length. In the colours of Helal Alalawi, trained by Madame Jean-François Bernard, and ridden by Cristian Demuro, HM Alchahine claimed another Gr.1 (PA) success.
He had won the Gr.1 (PA) Qatar Cup – Prix Dragon on his previous start. In 2025 he had finished second in this race. He is now a six-time Gr.1 (PA) winner.
“He really is an exceptional horse, because to do what he did today... you never drop back in a race. He dropped back and found himself last turning into the straight. Last, but it’s just crazy. The ground he made up, the ground he made up, going three times faster than everyone else, it’s... I’ve never seen a champion like him,” Demuro said after the race.
Meanwhile, Green Empress secured victory in the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac over 1600m. Reserved for two-year-old fillies, the race drew a field of twelve. Trained by Joseph O'Brien, ridden by Christophe Soumillon, and carrying the colours of The Thoroughbred Racing Corporation, Green Empress claimed her first Gr.1 success.
Amusingly claims Gr.1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere title
Amusingly won the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere over 1400m. Reserved for two-year-olds, the race drew a field of ten. The homebred two-year-old was the only filly in the field. A filly had not won this race since Happily in 2017. Ridden by Colin Keane, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, and carrying the colours of Juddmonte, Amusingly claimed her first Gr.1 success.
She had raced only twice before this. She won on her debut over 1400m at Compiegne, and she did it easily. On her return she finished second in the Gr.2 Prix d'Aumale over 1600m at ParisLongchamp, after pulling very hard. This was her second win from three starts. She is now a Gr.1 winner.
True Love bounces back in Gr.1 Qatar Prix de la Foret
True Love, a three-year-old filly, won the Gr.1 Qatar Prix de la Foret over 1400m. Eight runners lined up in a race open to horses aged three and upwards. Ridden by Ryan Moore and trained by Aidan O’Brien, for owners Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith, True Love claimed another Gr.1 success.
She bounced back from a sixth place in the Gr.1 Matron Stakes over 1600m at Leopardstown last time. This year she had won the Gr.1 1000 Guineas over 1600m at Newmarket. At two she had won the Gr.1 Cheveley Park Stakes over 1200m. She is now a three-time Gr.1 winner.
Qatar’s sporting legacy: Vision, excellence and global impact
The conclusion of the 2026 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe weekend at ParisLongchamp cements an 18-year alliance that has permanently reshaped international horse racing. Since QREC and France Galop joined forces in 2008, this landmark arrangement has transcended mere traditional sponsorship, transforming into a vital engine for European bloodstock. Above all, it has granted Purebred Arabians an unassailable position alongside Thoroughbreds on the sport's grandest stage, headlined by the Gr.1 PA Qatar Arabian World Cup immediately preceding the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe itself.
This alliance also birthed the Doha Triple Crown, a brutal test of versatility spanning three countries and varying distances: Goodwood’s 1,600m Qatar International Stakes, ParisLongchamp’s 2,000m World Cup and Al Rayyan’s 2,400m H H The Amir Sword.
