The coveted Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe takes centre stage at ParisLongchamp at the beginning of October, a race steeped in thoroughbred greatness. The race takes its name after a monument at a victory parade by the World War I Allies in 1919, so it only appeared fitting that the inaugural contest was on by a British-trained raider named Comrade.
The French had largely dominated their flagship contest throughout the early-middle 90s, though a slight shift in middle distance momentum saw household names such as Sea Bird, Mill Reef, Alleged, Rainbow Quest and Dancing Brave make the successful journey across the water. There’s a plethora of Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners who have shaped the breeding of the modern day thoroughbred, but perhaps none more so than the 1993 winner Urban Sea. The Miswaki mare subsequently turned into one of, if not the most influential broodmare having sired Sea The Stars ended his stellar three year old campaign with the 2009 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and prior to his there was Galileo, the 2001 Derby, Irish Derby and King George winner and most notably of all, the sire of Frankel, who got his long awaited Arc winner with Bluestocking last season.
There’s very few racehorses in the higher echelons of elite thoroughbred talent who fail to have an Arc winner traced back to their pedigree, reflecting on how historical and valuable this prestigious contest truly is not only in the context of witnessing a multitude of Group One proven horses flocking down the Longchamp straight, but also just how vital it can be to breeding the future elite equine stars of the turf.
Market Leaders
Aventure
Placed horses in previous renewals of the Arc have a habit of coming back a year later and acquiring the first place on the podium and last year’s second Aventure looks primed to follow up the trend. The Sea The Stars filly has admirable form figures of 122141221121 and posted a career best RPR when landing the Prix Vermeille over C&D last time out, going one place better than when bumping into Bluestocking in the race last season. Her sole defeat this term came up against the subsequent King George winner Calandagan which reads strong form, and given she’s slightly fresher this term she holds all the aces for now.
Minnie Hauk
Aidan O’Brien has remarkably only won the Arc twice with Dylan Thomas in 2007 and Found in 2016, partly down to his Classic contenders being primed for a spring/summer campaign and being slightly over the top by the late Autumn. However, we saw with Delacroix in the Irish Champion Stakes that he’s still well versed in the art of priming one who’s been on the go all season for a big day and Minnie Hauk is still very much an improving filly.
Her sole defeat in six starts came on debut at Cork last October when shaping as if coming on for that run like most of the yards on their debut, and she duly obliged at short odds next time out. She’s unbeaten in her four starts as a three year old this season, landing the Cheshire, Epsom, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks quadruple.
O’Brien is convinced we’re yet to get to the bottom of this relentless Frankel filly and that a strongly run, physical contest will only bring out the best in her.
Sosie
The murky picture of this year’s Arc is highlighted by the fact there’s only two horses at single figure odds, with Sosie the shortest of those in the doubles. Last year’s Arc favourite could only manage fourth behind Bluestocking but it was still a credible effort for one bred to improve with age and his whole campaign will have been geared toward going three places better.
Sosie reappeared with two Group One successes’ in the Prix Ganay and Prix d’Ispahan in spite of the inadequate distances, and he was far from disgraced in the Coral-Eclipse when unsuited by leading a slowly run race on ground quick enough for him, unable to match the turn of pace displayed by genuine ten furlong types. He fared much better in the Prix Foy beaten half a length into second, but it was perhaps disappointing to see him not to justify odds of 8/5 when seemingly having no excuses to be collared late on by Japanese raider Byzantine Dream. Andre Fabre will likely have left a bit on him in preparation for this, but the suspicion’s are creeping in now as to whether he’s truly suited to a strongly run twelve furlongs.
Byzantine Dream
The Japanese have rapidly made their imprint on the International racing scene in the last few years and through shrewd breeding the quality of thoroughbred has dramatically improved, however, the Arc eludes them for now with the likes of Through Seven Seas, Deirdre and Chrono Genesis coming up short in recent renewals.
Byzantine Dream made his mark on the International scene in February when landing the valuable Red Sea Turf Handicap at Riyadh, and he backed that up on home soil with a Grade One second prior to turning over Sosie in the Prix Foy. He’s on a steep upward curve, and now proven himself over C&D, a strongly run contest would play into his strengths with stamina for further also proven.
Croix Du Nord
The Japanese had their battalion bolstered at the weekend by Croix Du Nord, landed the Prix du Prince d’Orange at Longchamp when fending off Daryz in good fashion, with the progressive unbeaten Nahraan back in third. The Kitasan Black colt travelled strongly throughout the contest and picked up well under Yuichi Kitamura, and wasn’t overly hard pressed up the straight.
That came after a 105 day break having followed in the footsteps of the likes of Danon Decile, Do Deuce, Shahryar and Contrail when landing the Japanese Derby in June, and this progressive colt looks set for a big run providing his stamina holds up over this trip on a softer surface .
Outsiders To Consider
Estrange
Night Of Thunder filly Estrange marked herself as a potential star when bolting up on soft ground at Goodwood on debut last August, prior to a blip on quicker at York. She got back on track in the Listed Gillies Fillies Stakes at Doncaster again on soft ground, suggesting underlying conditions will bring out the best in her for the future.
She’s succumbed to the dry spring/summer this season and her options have been limited, but she made a winning reappearance at Haydock on her first try at twelve furlongs in what looked an exercise canter, prior to just about backing that up at odds of 2/7F in the Lancashire Oaks on ground quicker than ideal.
It was surprising to see connections roll the dice on a firmer surface in the Yorkshire Oaks as opposed to taking her to France for the Arc trials, but she still put up a career best to be beaten three lengths by Minnie Hauk who merely coped better on the ground.
I’ve long thought she was a seriously talented filly and she still remains of very little mileage for a four year old with just six starts, so if getting her beloved underfoot conditions she looks one for the each way players.
Cualificar
With Ombudsman ruled out, Godolphin’s sole representative may come in the form of Cualificar, who relished this distance for the first time when defeating Bay City Roller in the Prix Niel. The son of Lope De Vega was caught in a pocket on the rail and his chance looked to have gone with the others already mounting their challenge, but he displayed a wonderful attitude and turn of foot to accelerate out of the gap and collar George Scott’s mount on the line.
That came after a disappointing defeat in Group Two company at Deauville, but that was after a layoff having come second to Camille Pissarro in the French Derby, which has often proved a good path for the source of Arc winners. Cualificar’s been on a steep upward curve having only made his debut last November and going 0-2 as a 2yo, but now he’s proven to be a strong stayer at this distance we might not have yet seen the limitations of his ability.
Daryz
Aga Khan representative Daryz blotted his copybook in the Juddmonte International at York in August, but connections immediately were keen to draw a line through that run and he got back on track in the Prix du Prince d’Orange next time out. Daryz looked a touch unlucky there having been short of room once the pace lifted and having to switch wide around Croix Du Nord, but he’d have had the race sewn up in another few strides and it’s highly plausible to suggest that form will be reversed next month.
The Sea The Stars colt was four from four as a two year old with his season culminating in the Prix Eugene-Adam and while winless this term, he’s bred to improve with time and he shaped as if this extra two furlongs would bring out further improvement.
Verdict
Four-year-old fillies have taken three of the last nine renewals with Bluestocking, Found and Enable, and Sea The Stars filly AVENTURE can emulate her father’s success here in 2009. She comes here off the back of a rock solid prep and her whole season will have been geared around this contest. Her sole defeat this season came against arguably the best middle distance horse in training in Calandagan and that form is some of, if not the best on offer here. The Prix Vermeille winner followed up in the Arc last season, and lightning can strike twice once more.
Night Of Thunder filly Estrange can follow the selection home, as the likely prospect of soft ground is enough to justify turning the form around with Minnie Hauk here. She’s yet to be granted her conditions this season but her form still reads 112 and it was a career best effort last time out in the Yorkshire Oaks, travelling well alongside the eventual winner who appeared to skip across the firm turf easier.
Byzantine Dream can fare best of the Japanese raiders, as the prospect of a strongly run race on soft ground will play in to the strengths of his stamina reserves. He comes here fresher than most this season and won’t have been all that wound up for his Prix Foy success after a 126 day layoff, but it was still an impressive performance to collar the 8/5F Sosie close to home, who was fourth in last year’s renewal, though the fillies allowances may be just enough to keep him away from backing that effort up with another Longchamp success.
- Aventure
- Estrange
- Byzantine Dream
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