Hurricane Run wins the Arc under Kieren Fallon

Nic Doggett's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe memories

Horse Racing

Thu October 01, 2026 · 1d ago

Nic Doggett casts his mind back to how he first fell for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2005.

One of my favourite (and earliest) memories of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is 21 years ago, a time in my life when – for no obvious reason – the race used to be a staple day out for our Sunday League football team.

Only a couple of us were interested in horse racing, but somehow it became the focal point every year on the first weekend of October, all the better if it was an away match and a chance to spend a full afternoon in the pub, often after a trouncing on the pitch. I’m not sure why, but we played for the Inland Revenue, meaning we were hated even before a ball/player had been kicked.

That particular year saw an away match somewhere between York and Middlesborough and the André Fabre-trained Hurricane Run winning at Longchamp in torrential rain, Kieren Fallon burrowing up the rail on that year’s Irish Derby winner for a two-length defeat of Westerner.

Hurricane Run went on to add the Tattersalls Gold Cup and King George the following year, but this was his peak, his cup final.

And what a horse Westerner was! It felt like the Arc was the only Longchamp race that he hadn’t won, but the fact that an Ascot Gold Cup winner could finish second felt like more of a testament to his toughness and versatility than any sleight on the quality of the race.

Indeed, the list of those beaten in-behind – Bago, Shirocco and Motivator filled the next three places, while the following year’s Champion Stakes and Hong Kong Cup winner Pride was only seventh – was lost on me at the time but I now realise was vintage, underlined by great old timers like Mubtaker, Warrsan and Norse Dancer being sent off at 40/1, 50/1 and 66/1 respectively.

Hurricane Run had so many ahead of him turning for home, but – somehow – with horses moving off the rail into trouble, and a gap opening up 200 metres out with Motivator drifting left-handed, Fallon was rewarded for his stoicism with a dream split on the rail.

2005 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Hurricane Run

I can remember several roaring him home in the pub, including my friend Alex who loved Coolmore fervently and is the sort of person who still regularly reminds me about the time I failed to get a Canadian of Ryan Moore’s rides on for him. At least he only won four out of five, hey?

Anyway, drinks continued to flow on a historic afternoon that not only saw Fallon pick up the Prix de l’Opera, but the Prix de l'Abbaye, too. Three Group Ones on the same afternoon, a feat that I guess nearly all Coolmore number one jockeys have achieved, but one which surely deserves more recognition.

On the subject of jockeys, I find it odd that no-one has booked Billy Loughnane for this year’s race (yet). I know there are a lot of retainers and quiet handshakes floating around, but this is no ordinary Champion Jockey [elect] and someone is missing a trick somewhere.

Anyway, the rest of that 2005 afternoon in the village pub becomes blurry. I remember the manager falling off a bar stool at one point, but of course there was no VAR back then, so any recollection of the event comes second-hand via an untrustworthy Sunday League equivalent of a sheepish Russian linesman from the 1966 World Cup Final.

I really hope that the race is still the focal point for a football team or two playing this Sunday, because there’s every chance that this year’s renewal could present its own modern day classic, though - much like football now compared to pre-1992 - it probably won’t be quite as memorable in 20 years’ time.

Now, where did I put my boots...?

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