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New Logo For Qatar Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe Unveiled

A new logo for the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp on Oct. 1 was unveiled by France Galop on Thursday. The logo will be used from this year and going forward.

More contemporary than its predecessor, the logo depicts the Arc de Triomphe monument in a nod to the heritage and historical influence of this race. It was designed by independent global design agency Seenk. The previous logo was used beginning in 2008 in celebration of the new partnership between the Arc and the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club. Initially signed for a five-year period (2008-2012), the sponsorship was extended in 2010 until 2022. The partnership has since been extended again, this time until 2027, with the addition of the G1 Qatar Prix du Jockey Club to the sponsored races, the second most important race in the French racing programme.

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IFHA Conference Returns To Paris After Two-Year Break

The International Conference of Horseracing Authorities, organised by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), will return as an in-person event in Paris, France on Oct. 3. Held virtually for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference's topics to be covered include the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) in the United States, broadening horse racing's appeal globally, addressing climate change through sport, and lessons learned from the pandemic.

“As the first in-person conference in three years, this event convenes at a critical junction of our industry as we examine the key reforms and issues impacting the sport and look forward to the key opportunities and challenges ahead,” said IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who will deliver the Conference's opening and closing remarks. “I personally look forward to the sharing of ideas that the conference will bring, and for us to connect in person once again.”

Additionally, Carly Dixon, Executive General Manager, Stakeholder, Customer & Corporate Affairs, Racing Victoria, in her capacity as Executive Director of the 39th Asian Racing Conference (ARC) Organizing Committee, is scheduled to showcase the 39th ARC, which will be held in Melbourne in February 2023.

A live video stream of the Open Forum of the International Conference of Horseracing Authorities will be available on the IFHA's website.

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Remembering Lester: A Personal Recollection by John Hammond

It was Wednesday morning, 5 December 1990. The phone rang. 'You running anything at the weekend?'. Inwardly I groaned, I knew what was coming. I was running a handicapper slightly past his best in the 2,100m handicap at Saint-Cloud on the Saturday. An older horse with his issues, not a comfortable ride, Lester had ridden him 11 days earlier when he was a well beaten third. 'Ok, I'll come and ride him'. And so, to my embarrassment, he flew over at his own expense for one, dodgy ride.

It was Lester Piggott who was responsible for my being in France. Returning from America in early 1985, jobless, I had bumped into him and he asked me if I had any plans. I didn't.

'You should go and work for this Fabre guy in France, he's very good, you know.'

He wasn't wrong there. It was the year he was to spend much of riding for André so he kindly made the phone call and got me the job. I got to know him quite well, often ferrying him from the airport to the races in my Austin mini. He was fun, chatty. Those in the car park at the races were always baffled by the mode of transport of this icon of the sport but I think it rather amused him. Lester was never about bling; limousines weren't required to go from A to B.

Returning to Saturday, 8 December 1990. It was a miserable day, raining hail. The old horse cocked his jaw, pulled Lester's arms out, came to win then faded to be third. Returning to the unsaddling enclosure dripping wet, freezing cold, Lester got off and gave the horse a friendly pat before trudging off to the jocks' room. There wasn't much to say.

Back in the car, returning to the airport after his one ride, he said 'He's silly that old horse, he shouldn't pull like that, he could have won, you know.'

I think most jockeys would have used considerably saltier language about the horse or, more so, the fact that he had paid for his own plane ticket and sacrificed a day to come to France for one average ride in shocking weather. But he wasn't unhappy, more the opposite: I had the impression he'd enjoyed his day. It was a month after his famous comeback ride on Royal Academy in the Breeders' Cup and he knew how much he'd missed it.

He had a unique empathy, relationship, with horses. It wasn't sentimental, more mutual respect. He would ask for more when they had more to give but not when a horse was empty. He knew the difference, sometimes being unjustifiably penalised for easing one down. Never did I hear him using pejorative language about a horse that, occasionally for understandable reasons, some do. He liked them.

I feel lucky to have known him.

John Hammond
Chantilly

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Arc Hero Torquator Tasso ‘Working Well’ Ahead of Return

Marcel Weiss, trainer of the reigning Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), has provided an upbeat bulletin on the 5-year-old ahead of his eagerly-anticipated return to action at Baden-Baden on Sunday.

Torquator Tasso shocked the racing world by becoming the longest-priced winner in Arc history when returning a 72-1 chance in a race where he had Dermot Weld's globetrotting mare Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) and Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in behind.

The poster boy of German racing will return in the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft at Baden-Baden, a track he tasted top-notch success at last term when snaring the 149th Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden before his memorable triumph at ParisLongchamp, and Weiss has described his stable star as having done very well over the winter.

Speaking to TDN Europe, he said, “Torquator Tasso has wintered very well, settled down even more. He has been working very well, the preparation has been going according to plan and we are very hopeful for Baden-Baden, even though he is not yet at a 100%.”

Weiss has a big red circle around the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and will chart a path back to ParisLongchamp in the autumn with the aim of Torquator Tasso defending his crown.

Mapping out the campaign, he said, “The further plan is to go into the G2 Hansa-Preis at Hamburg, then there will be either Ascot [for the King George] or Berlin before we are planning for the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden and then onto the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.”

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