The prestigious Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Europe's richest horse race, became a battle of survival rather than speed as torrential rain turned the Longchamp course into a gruelling test of stamina.
Japanese Ambitions Washed Away
Japan's much-vaunted challenge, led by the brilliant mare Proper, collapsed spectacularly in the Paris downpour. The favourite, who had dazzled in her previous outings, could only manage a disappointing seventh place as the softened ground proved her undoing.
"It was heartbreaking to watch," observed one racing correspondent. "The Japanese team had travelled with such high hopes, but the weather gods had other plans. The ground was simply too testing for their style of running."
A Course Transformed
The build-up to the great race was dominated by weather forecasts predicting significant rainfall. By race day, those predictions had become reality, with the going officially described as 'very soft'.
- The conditions favoured stayers over speedsters
- Several fancied runners were withdrawn pre-race
- Trainers faced agonising decisions about whether to run their stars
An Unexpected Victor Emerges
While the favourites floundered, the testing conditions brought the best out of horses who relished the mud. The victory went to a gutsy performer whose stamina came to the fore when others were fading.
"This is what makes the Arc so special," the winning trainer remarked. "You can have the best horse on paper, but you need everything to fall right on the day. Today, the conditions were the great leveller."
What Next for the Beaten Favourites?
The racing world is now left wondering whether Proper and other disappointed contenders will get another chance to prove their class on a more suitable surface. Connections of the Japanese mare were philosophical in defeat.
"She's still a champion in our eyes," her owner stated. "Sometimes the racing conditions don't suit, and today was one of those days. We'll regroup and plan her next move carefully."
The 2024 Arc will be remembered as the year when weather, rather than form, wrote the final chapter of Europe's most prestigious flat race.
