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A fine field of 17 lined up in the 2025 edition of the greatest 1m4f race in the world, with the contingent including runners from France, Britain, Ireland, and Japan.
Favourite even before her participation was confirmed, Aidan O’Brien’s dual Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk was strongly supported on the day and started as the clear market leader. The Frankel filly was joined in the field by stablemate Los Angeles, who finished third in the 2024 edition.
Aventure was the second choice of punters, having finished an excellent second in 2024. Arriving on the back of an excellent win in the Prix Vermeille, Christophe Ferland’s stable star was well fancied to go one better.
The 2024 fourth Sosie and impressive Prix Foy winner Cualificar represented the most successful trainer in Arc history, Andre Fabre. The Francis-Henri Graffard trio of Prix du Prince d’Orange runner-up Daryz, Prix de Diane winner Gezora, and Prix Jean Romanet winner Quisisana added to a strong home challenge.
As ever, Japan took aim at Europe’s biggest prize. The stamina-laden Byzantine Dream was well supported on the day of his bid to hand Japan and Oisin Murphy a first Arc success. Japanese Derby winner Croix Du Nord and the unexposed Alohi Alii made up a three-pronged Japanese attack.
Others to note included Jessica Harrington’s Futurity Trophy winner Hotazhell, Marco Botti’s Hong Kong Vase hero Giavellotto, and Andrew Balding’s Kalpana, who sported the Juddmonte silks carried to victory by Bluestocking in 2024.
Result
- 1st – Daryz 166/10, Jockey: Mickael Barzalona, Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard
- 2nd – Minnie Hauk 5/2F, Jockey: Christophe Soumillon, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
- 3rd – Sosie 12/1, Jockey: Stephane Pasquier, Trainer: Andre Fabre
Prize Money Breakdown
- 1st – £2,361,157.02
- 2nd – £944,628.10
- 3rd – £427,314.05
- 4th – £235,950.41
- 5th – £118,181.82
PARI-MUTUEL Payouts
- Win – €17.60
- Places – 1st – €4.60, 2nd – €1.90, 3rd – €3.20
- Dual Forecast – €39
Recap
Minnie Hauk broke well from her inside berth when the stalls opened. Fellow filly Kalpana was alertly away up the centre of the track, while Croix Du Nord did well to overcome a wide draw and gain a prominent early position. Byzantine Dream came off worst at the start, with a slow break immediately putting the Japanese raider on the back foot.
Two furlongs into the race, Hotazhell cut inside to take the overall lead, tracked by Croix Du Nord and Alohi Alii, with Minnie Hauk maintaining her position tight against the inside rail in fourth. Quisisana and Los Angeles also raced up with the pace. Aventure, Daryz, and Kalpana sat in midfield, while Cualificar and Gezora were patiently ridden towards the rear.
Turning into the false straight, Croix Du Nord increased the pace to take the lead from Hotazhell, with the Ballydoyle duo of Los Angeles and Minnie Hauk next in line. The Francis-Henri Graffard pair Quisisana and Daryz sat fifth and sixth, with Aventure trapped a little wide in seventh. Kalpana, Byzantine Dream, and Cualificar had a lot of ground to make up at this stage.
Croix Du Nord moved well off the home bend but was immediately joined by Minnie Hauk as Hotazhell began to fold. The O’Brien filly moved clear at the furlong pole and briefly looked to have the race in safe keeping. However, a major threat emerged in the shape of Daryz. Switched off the rail by Mickael Barzalona, the son of Sea The Stars began to eat up the ground to Minnie Hauk’s outside.
Minnie Hauk still held the lead with half a furlong to run, but the withering run of Daryz was slowly but surely wearing her down. Daryz hit the front close home to master Minnie Hauk by a head in a pulsating finish. Sosie went one better than in 2024 to take third, with Giavellotto running a mighty race in fourth. Byzantine Dream fared best of the Japanese runners in fifth.
Having made a huge splash on British shores with back-to-back King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes wins, Francis-Henri Graffard claimed the Arc for the first time. It was a first win in the race for 34-year-old jockey Mickael Barzalona, and he became the seventh Arc champion to carry the famous Aga Khan silks.
Runners
- 1. Giavellotto – SP: 37/1, Trainer: Marco Botti, Jockey: Andrea Atzeni
- 2. White Birch – SP: 53/1, Trainer: John Joseph Murphy, Jockey: Dylan Browne McMonagle
- 3. Arrow Eagle – SP: 105/1, Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget, Jockey: Ioritz Mendizabal
- 4. Sosie – SP: 12/1, Trainer: Andre Fabre, Jockey: Stephane Pasquier
- 5. Los Angeles – SP: 44/1, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Wayne Lordan
- 6. Byzantine Dream – SP: 7/1, Trainer: Tomoyasu Sakaguchi, Jockey: Oisin Murphy
- 7. Estrange – Non-runner
- 8. Quisisana – SP: 19/1, Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard, Jockey: Alexis Pouchin
- 9. Kalpana – SP: 16/1, Trainer: Andrew Balding, Jockey: Colin Keane
- 10. Aventure – SP: 57/10, Trainer: Christophe Ferland, Jockey: Maxime Guyon
- 11. Daryz – SP: 166/10, Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard, Jockey: Mickael Barzalona
- 12. Leffard – SP: 47/1, Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget, Jockey: Cristian Demuro
- 13. Cualificar – SP: 22/1, Trainer: Andre Fabre, Jockey: William Buick
- 14. Hotazhell – SP: 94/1, Trainer: Jessica Harrington, Jockey: Shane Foley
- 15. Croix Du Nord – SP: 87/10, Trainer: Takashi Saito, Jockey: Yuichi Kitamura
- 16. Alohi Alii – SP: 9/1, Trainer: Hiroyasu Tanaka, Jockey: Christophe-Patrice Lemaire
- 17. Minnie Hauk – SP: 5/2F, Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Christophe Soumillon
- 18. Gezora – SP: 31/1, Trainer: Francis-Henri Graffard, Jockey: Tom Marquand
Non-Runners
Estrange (dirty scope)