Among a raft of changes to the French calendar ratified by the European Pattern Committee, a clear determination from French racing's rulers to return the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) to global pre-eminence shines through.
And while the creation of a win-and-you're-in global road to the Arc and the repositioning of the trials card to allow a four-week gap between rehearsal and the big race are eyecatching, a decision over whether to admit geldings to face the starter in Europe's richest race has been deferred, with the race set to remain the preserve of colts, fillies, and mares in 2025.
France Galop's vice-president in charge of the flat, Arnaud de Seyssel, said he had been struck by the validity of arguments both for and against and that, with many other pressing issues facing the sport, the French governing body had elected to "park" the issue while continuing to listen to all sides of the debate.
"I've spent a lot of time taking soundings over this and it's quite a divisive subject," said Seyssel. "We decided, along with Guillaume de Saint-Seine (president of France Galop) and the administrative council, that it's not the year to allow geldings in, so for now the Arc remains closed. But the discussion itself is not at an end.
"We have a lot of subjects to treat so we have parked this for the moment but will continue to discuss it."
Seyssel was speaking during a media briefing to announce the changes to the flat pattern in France for 2025, of which the nomination of a number of qualifying races leading up to the Arc may be one of the more significant.
The identity of the races is set to be unveiled April 27 when the Prix Ganay (G1) is run at Longchamp, but it is fair to expect that, alongside the classics, France Galop will hope to attract the winners of races such as the Ganay itself, the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1), Japan's Takarazuka Kinen (G1), the King George (G1), the Juddmonte International (G1), and the Irish Champion Stakes (G1).
"Among the measures presented to and adopted by the EPC is the creation of an international circuit of qualifying races which guarantee a place in the starting line-up for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (regardless of rating)," said deputy director general Henri Pouret, who is also France's representative on the European Pattern Committee.
"Among other benefits, these races will enable us to communicate regularly throughout the year on the subject of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and to put it back on top as the best race in the world, hopefully beginning this year."
The Arc topped the inaugural Longines World's Best Race rankings in 2015 and has done so on four more occasions (most recently in 2021) but was rated by international handicappers joint-fifth in 2024.
France Galop has also brought forward the Prix Foy, Niel, and Vermeille to join the Prix du Moulin, which this year will be run for €800,000 in place of €450,000.
Pouret said of the switch: "The weekend traditionally used for the Arc Trials meeting has become very congested across the European Pattern, with the Irish Champions Festival having been created over that weekend, while there is also the St Leger at Doncaster.
"So both in terms of giving more visibility to the Arc Trials and ensuring the availability of the main actors, it has become a bit more complicated. Bringing the meeting forward by one week addresses those issues."
Pouret added: "It also adds to the excitement around the Prix du Moulin, which last year was the third-highest-rated French contest behind the Arc and the Grand Prix de Chantilly.
"Many trainers told us they felt that an extra week of recuperation and preparation between the trials and the Arc would be beneficial, and we hope it will also help attract foreign runners and in particular those from Japan to the trials meeting."
Among other notable changes to the French calendar is the fusion of the Prix Jean Romanet (G1) for older fillies and mares with the Prix Alec Head (G2) (formerly the Prix de la Nonette) to create an all-aged group 1 for fillies and mares of 3 years old and upwards, with the Prix de Pomone now to be run in memory of Alec Head over the same weekend in Deauville.
And the main trial for the Prix Marcel Boussac (G11), the Prix d'Aumale, has been upgraded to group 2 status, while a number of colts' 2-year-old pattern races have been moved through the autumn in order to give greater space between them and potentially boost field sizes.
