It’s a huge weekend of international racing, with Group 1 action coming from Australia, Britain, France, Canada and the United States. However, European attention will be firmly fixed on Longchamp, where the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe takes centre stage on Sunday afternoon.
Before that, Saturday gets underway early with the TAB Epsom at Randwick, one of the major races on the Australian programme.
Back in Britain, Ascot stages the Listed October Stakes before attention switches to Newmarket, where the Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes brings together some of the leading fillies and mares over a mile.
There is also an excellent Saturday card at Longchamp ahead of the Arc, featuring the Group 1 Prix de Royallieu and the marathon Prix du Cadran.
Later in the evening the focus moves across the Atlantic. Belmont Park stages the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes and Frizette Stakes for the juveniles, while Keeneland hosts the First Lady Stakes and Coolmore Turf Mile. In Canada, Woodbine has the Grade 1 Canadian International over a mile and a half.
Sunday is all about Paris. The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is due off at 3:05pm and will be shown live on ITV, with 16 runners declared for one of the biggest races of the European season.
There is also racing from The Curragh, including the Listed Concorde Stakes and Brigid's Pastures Stakes, before Keeneland rounds off the weekend with the Grade 1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes.
Looking ahead, attention soon switches back to Newmarket for the Dewhurst Stakes on 10 October. Before then there is racing from Fairyhouse, Yarmouth, Stratford and Kempton on Monday, followed by meetings including Galway, Leicester, Brighton, Nottingham, Navan, Worcester, Ayr and Bath during the week.
Big races this week
SATURDAY
7:10am Randwick (Sky)
TAB Epsom (Group 1)
1m, Flat Turf
1:15pm Ascot (iTV)
BetMGM British EBF October Stakes (Listed Race)
7f, Flat Turf
1:35pm Newmarket (iTV)
BetMGM Sun Chariot Stakes (Group 1)
1m, Flat Turf
3:25pm Longchamp (Sky)
Qatar Prix de Royallieu (Group 1)
1m6f, Flat Turf
4:00pm Longchamp (Sky)
Qatar Prix du Cadran (Group 1)
2m4f, Flat Turf
8:53pm Belmont Park (Sky)
Champagne Stakes (Grade 1)
1m, Dirt
9:31pm Belmont Park (Sky)
Frizette Stakes (Grade 1)
1m, Dirt
9:44pm Keeneland (Sky)
First Lady Stakes (Grade 1)
1m, Flat Turf
10:30pm Woodbine (Sky)
Canadian International Stakes (Grade 1)
1m4f, Flat Turf
10:48pm Keeneland (Sky)
Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes (Grade 1)
1m, Flat Turf
SUNDAY
2:30pm Curragh (RTV)
Coolmore Sioux Nation Concorde Stakes (Listed Race)
7f, Flat Turf
3:05pm Longchamp (ITV)
Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Group 1)
1m4f, Flat Turf
3:40pm Curragh (RTV)
Hailey Equine Irish EBF Brigid's Pastures Stakes (Listed Race)
6f, Flat Turf
10:10pm Keeneland (Sky)
Indian Summer Stakes Presented By Keeneland Select (Grade 3)
5½f, Flat Turf
10:45pm Keeneland (Sky)
Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (Grade 1)
1m1f, Dirt
*All races above are listed in UK time.
Race Notes
3:05pm (4th Oct) Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe - Longchamp
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe takes centre stage at Longchamp on Sunday, with 16 runners lining up for one of the biggest races of the season.
Last year's winner Daryz is the obvious starting point. He has looked as good as ever in 2026, winning the Prix Ganay and Prix d'Ispahan before producing the ideal Arc trial in the Prix Foy. Victory would make him one of the rare horses to win the race twice.
The strongest challenge may come from Britain. Kalpana returns after finishing seventh last year and looks a much stronger mare this time around following victories in the King George and Yorkshire Oaks. She is proven over a mile and a half and looks to have been brought to Paris at the top of her game.
Maltese Cross is another major player. William Haggas's three-year-old finished second in the Derby before winning the Grand Prix de Paris over this course and distance and then beating Christmas Day in the Great Voltigeur. Course experience is a big positive.
There are several other serious three-year-old contenders. Thundering On won the Oaks before returning from a summer break to win the Blandford Stakes, while Diamond Necklace won the French 1,000 Guineas, French Oaks and Nassau Stakes before suffering her first defeat of the season. The question with her is whether she can stretch her speed to a mile and a half.
Varandir is another interesting French runner after winning four of his five races, including the Prix Niel at Longchamp. His only defeat came behind Maltese Cross in the Grand Prix de Paris, and another step forward would put him firmly in the argument.
Last year's runner-up Minnie Hauk cannot be ignored despite a much less convincing 2026 campaign. She came very close to winning this race 12 months ago and clearly handles Longchamp.
Ground conditions could be important for Bay City Roller, who produced a huge performance when winning the Coronation Cup by ten lengths on testing ground. If the rain arrives, his chances become much more interesting.
Japan's hopes rest with Meisho Tabaru and Admire Terra. Meisho Tabaru brings stronger Group 1 form after winning the Takarazuka Kinen, while Admire Terra certainly has no stamina concerns after performing well over much longer distances in Japan.
There are also plenty of interesting outsiders. Friendly Soul earned her place by winning the Prix Vermeille over this course and distance and already has excellent Longchamp form. Saddadd improved when stepped up to a mile and a half to win the Grosser Preis von Baden, while Arrow Eagle returns after finishing sixth in last year's Arc.
Benvenuto Cellini, Bright Light and Chestnut Rocket complete a field with plenty of depth, although all three will need to produce career-best performances to win.
It looks a strong Arc, but Kalpana gets the vote. She has looked better than ever this season, stays the trip strongly and arrives with two major Group 1 victories behind her. Daryz remains the obvious danger, while Friendly Soul is the one who could outrun expectations at a bigger price.
🏆 Winner: KALPANA
⚠️ Main Danger: DARYZ
🎯 Outsider: FRIENDLY SOUL
Antepost Watch
The Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on 10 October is already producing one of the more volatile ante-post markets we have seen this autumn, with several of the leading contenders moving sharply in both directions.
Desert Castle currently heads the market at 4/1, but his price has moved around considerably, having previously traded at around 6/4 and 7/4. That is a sizeable drift for a horse who remains favourite.
There has been an even bigger change with Darkness Falls. Aidan O'Brien's colt has previously been available at prices as short as 7/2 and 4/1, but is now out to 16/1.
Folsom Blues has also been on the move. Joseph O'Brien's runner has traded at 6/1 and 8/1, but can now be backed at 12/1.
The story is similar with Great Barrier Reef, another Aidan O'Brien runner. He has previously been around 10/1 and 14/1, but has drifted right out to 25/1.
Sharqdd has shortened after previously being available at around 20/1 and 16/1, and is now 14/1.
With more than a week still to go before the Dewhurst, the market clearly has not settled down yet. Running plans and final declarations could change things considerably again, so this looks like one race where keeping an eye on the prices over the next few days could be particularly interesting.
Racing Syndicates
For anyone interested in racehorse ownership, MyKingdomForAHorse.org has added a couple of useful features worth keeping an eye on.
The new Syndicate Finder brings together racing syndicates and ownership clubs in one place, making it easier to browse the different options available and see what might suit your budget and level of involvement.
There is also a dedicated New Horses page, featuring recently added horses and upcoming ownership opportunities. It is a useful way to see what is becoming available and keep track of new horses before shares start to fill.
You can explore the ownership options at MyKingdomForAHorse.org.
Betting Offers
Betfred is one of the best-known names in British betting, covering horse racing alongside a wide range of other sports.
For racing fans, Betfred offers markets across major UK, Irish and international meetings, from everyday cards through to the biggest races of the season. You can find win and each-way betting, ante-post markets and a range of other racing options.
Betfred also has a long association with British horse racing and currently sponsors several major races and meetings.
If you’re looking for another bookmaker to compare prices and racing markets, Betfred is well worth a look. New customers can also take advantage of a welcome offer when opening an account. T&Cs apply.
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Racing News
Here are a few racing updates that caught the eye this week.
Racing Legends - Liam Treadwell & Mon Mone
There are jockeys who spend an entire career trying to win the Grand National without ever managing it, but Liam Treadwell did it on his first attempt.
He was just 23 years old when he arrived at Aintree in 2009 to ride Mon Mome, a 100/1 outsider trained by Venetia Williams. A little over nine and a half minutes later, Treadwell had won the biggest race of his life by 12 lengths and written his name into Grand National history.
Thanks for reading! Let’s catch up again next week.
Regards
The Newsletter Team
