3 minute read
With the final field in for this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Sam King assesses every contender going to post for Europe's premier middle-distance prize.
Qatar Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe (Group 1)
When: 3.05, Sunday October 1
Course: Longchamp
First prize: £2,380,833
Going: Good to Soft
Sisfahan – This five-year-old German raider had shown some decent form in Germany before disappointing in a tactical Grosser Preiss von Baden last time. He raced too freely in that contest and should settle better dropped in from his wide berth in stall thirteen.
However, he looks as though a step up in trip may be what he desires nowadays and it's tough to see the Henk Grewe-trained contender getting involved at the business end in a race of this nature.
Haya Zark – Tailed off behind Simca Mille on decent ground in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly in June, he did at least bounce back to some sort of form when third in the Group 2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville.
That said, all of his best form has seemed to come on soft ground and with plenty to find on the official ratings, he looks to face a stiff uphill task on his first-ever outing in Group 1 company.
Onesto – The Fabrice Chappet-trained colt had an excellent season last year, landing the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris over today's Arc course and distance. He returned from a lengthy absence with a highly encouraging fourth behind Inspiral over an inadequate trip in the Prix Jacques le Marois this season but failed to back that up when well-beaten in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown (finished runner-up in it last year).
There's no doubt that the recent effort will have dented supporter's confidence, but he does have some solid Group 1 form that makes him of interest and with both ground and trip to suit, it wouldn't be entirely surprising were he to find the frame at a tasty each-way price.
Simca Mille – Many peoples each-way fancy. Stephane Wattel's chestnut colt has had a productive 2023 thus far, with his sole defeat coming when runner-up to the reopposing Bay Bridge in the Prix Ganay earlier in the season. That second-place finish came over 1m2 1/2f and there's little doubt he's a better horse over a mile and a half. The step back up in distance on good ground saw him get back to winning ways in the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly and he backed that up by recording a well-deserved breakthrough Group 1 success in the Grosser Preiss von Baden next time. The winning margin was only three-quarters of a length that day, but he travelled much the best throughout and was never really fully extended after quickening up in taking style.
Stall fifteen (drawn widest of all) is the obvious negative but I'd expect Alexis Pouchin to try to make plenty of use of him in the early stages, and if he finds a decent position during the early stages, it certainly wouldn't be a shock if he ran a big race at generous each-way odds in his big to make it back-to-back Group 1 wins.
Bay Bridge – Sir Michael Stoute's runner is probably best known for his defeat of the brilliant Baaeed in last year's Champion Stakes, but he hasn't quite gone on as some would have expected him to since.
He does tend to come to the boil at this time of year though with October often proving a fruitful month for the son of New Bay. The James Wigan-owned five-year-old travelled enthusiastically when third behind Simca Mille (second) in the Group 1 Prix Ganay on his seasonal reappearance and once again he probably raced too freely when runner-up to Luxembourg in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. It was a similar story in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot but he flattened out late on and eventually finished a well-beaten fifth.
That promoted connections to drop him in grade and he duly grasped an excellent opportunity to get back to winning ways when landing the Group 3 September Stakes at Kempton last time. The form is nothing to write home about, but Enable did use that as a stepping stone to her Arc preparations, not once but twice, and it was hard not to be impressed with the way he quickened up that day.
It's not often five-year-olds with his profile are open to improvement but that Kempton success was his first outing over the mile-and-a-half trip. Connections could hardly have hoped for a better draw in stall six and he must enter the calculations with good ground also unlikely to pose any issues.
Westover – Ralph Beckett could hardly have had a better season numerically at least and he'll be hoping his stable star can build on last year's sixth-place finish. He produced a fine effort on reappearance when third behind the world-class Equinox in Dubai in March, staying on nicely in the closing stages after racing keenly early on, and the turning track at Epsom certainly didn't play to his strengths when finding Emily Upjohn's superior turn of foot too much to handle in the Coronation Cup.
A confidence-boosting victory in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in July would have done him the world of good and the form does hold some substance with the runner-up, Zagrey, landing a Group 1 next-time-out.
He lost absolutely nothing in defeat when going down by a head to Hukum in a titanic tussle in the King George at Ascot last time and so long as that effort hasn't taken anything out of him, a big run should be on the cards with his favoured quick ground a massive plus this year.
Hukum – By no fault of his own, Owen Burrows' contender has spent plenty of his career in the shadows of his full-brother Baaeed, but he returned to the scene with a bang this season and looks to head the English battalion. The commanding 2022 Group 1 Coronation Cup winner suffered a career-threatening injury shortly after but was masterly handled by his trainer to return to action with an authoritative display over 2022 Derby hero Desert Crown in the Group 3 Brigadier Gerard at Sandown in May. Quick ground meant connections would bypass a trip to Royal Ascot, but they were certainly rewarded for their patience when he battled on in gutsy fashion to land the King George Stakes over the reopposing Westover. The Shadwell-owned colt has plenty of positives ahead of his trip to Paris with ground conditions unlikely to be an issue, he's proven over the trip, goes well fresh, and will have the services of experienced retained rider Jim Crowley.
Place Du Carrousel – Andre Fabre's sole runner in the line-up. She stayed on stoutly to defeat Nashwa on testing ground in last year's Prix de l'Opera and has continued a steady upward curve this season. The daughter of Lope De Vega shaped much better than the bare result when fifth in the Group 1 Prix Ganay on her return to action and always looked to be doing enough to land Group 3 honours snugly at Deauville next time.
There was no real pace on in the Group 2 Prix Foy, run over the Arc course and distance, but she battled on well to hold off Iresine by a neck on her first outing over the mile and a quarter trip.
Connections will have no worry about stamina going into this year's Arc but being a daughter of Lope De Vega, the forecast quicker ground may not prove ideal. That said, it's interesting she's the sole representative of her master French trainer and she must have each-way claims going back up into Group 1 company with an unexposed profile over this distance.
Through Seven Seas – It looks impossible to ignore Japan's sole contender on the back of her eye-catching second behind the world's best turf performer Equinox in the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin last time.
That was a clear career-best performance by some distance and she's by no means guaranteed to back it up, but the forecast dry ground will be music to connections ears and it's possible she's still improving at five.
It would be foolish to discount a horse that represents a nation that is continuing to prove their dominance on an international stage in recent seasons and with a good draw to boot in stall five, she requires serious respect in her bid to give Japan a first long-awaited success in Europe's premiere middle-distance prize.
Free Wind – Plenty of eyes will be on Free Wind as she bids to give Frankie Dettori a fairytale success in his 33rd and final arc.
She produced a huge performance to land the Group 2 Lancashire Oaks last season but was met with a setback subsequently. The Gosden-trained mare returned to the track with a pleasing success in the Middleton Stakes at York earlier this season and that reappearance victory may have taken plenty out of her – accounting for the below-par performance in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot next time.
The bottomless ground at Goodwood wouldn't have been to her liking in August and it wasn't at all surprising to see her bounce back to form when going down narrowly in the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks last time. The winner has since followed up at Group 1 level to give the form a solid look and with the magical Frankie Detorri in the saddle from stall three, she will rightfully so have her each-way supporters.
Mr Hollywood – Lightly raced after just five career outings he arrives following two sound efforts in Group 1 company in Germany. He got within a neck of the talented Zagrey in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden last time but in all truth, he got the run of the race in a messy affair and was almost certainly flattered by the winning margin.
This represents by far his stiffest task to date and although versatile in terms of ground, it's likely he'll find at least a few too good at this level.
Feed The Flame – Pascal Bary's charge shaped quite nicely when fourth behind Ace Impact in the Prix du Jockey Club earlier this season and looked like a high-class prospect when coming from last to first to deny Adelaide River in comfortable style in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in July.
He was subsequently turned over by the reopposing Fantastic Moon at a short price when given plenty to do in the Group 2 Prix Niel last time but did pick up nicely from miles off the pace.
That effort should have put him spot on for this assignment and the likely truly run race will certainly play to his strengths. It'll be interesting to see how connections opt to ride him from a good draw given his hold-up profile and you'd imagine he's going to need some luck in transition up the home straight.
However, he's certainly talented enough to be going close in a race of this nature but with the niggly factor of his hold-up style, a general 8/1 price doesn't look all that appealing from an each-way angle.
Ace Impact – Unbeaten son of Cracksman who bids to give Jean-Claude Rouget a second success in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe following Sottsass' brilliant triumph in this contest two years ago. Not only does he head the home challenge following a remarkable unbeaten career to date, but not surprisingly, he also heads the market across the board. Jean-Claude Rouget's charge only made his debut on the all-weather at Cagnes-sur-Mer towards the end of January but has quickly progressed into a top-class performer, proven by his taking success in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.
Connections were almost certainly tempted by a tilt at the Irish Champion Stakes but instead kept him in France.
A snug victory in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville in August would have been seen as the perfect preparation by many and although he's yet to prove himself over the mile-and-a-half journey, it's tough to fault his claims as he attempts to make it a perfect six from six on Europe's greatest stage.
Fantastic Moon – This unexposed Deutsches Derby and Prix Niel winner has to have good ground and with the Parisian forecast dry a few weeks ago, connections decided to stump up the €120,000 supplementary fee.
Unbeaten on both outings over a mile and a half, it's impossible not to take this German raider seriously and he looked better than ever when defeating Feed The Flame in the course and distance Prix Niel last time.
There's no doubt he was well-positioned to score that day, but he could only beat what was in front of him and with connections opting to pay the supplementary fee, you'd have to think they're keen on his chances.
Stall twelve isn't ideal but at the same time, it's hardly disastrous. There could be plenty more to come from this three-year-old son of Sea The Moon on just his seventh career outing and he's definitely one of the more fancied runners in this year's middle-distance Group 1 feature.
Continuous – It's rare that Aidan O'Brien saddles just one horse in a Group 1 contest these days but that's the case here as he relies on recently supplemented Continuous.
It's tough to fault his progressive profile this season and he looked a really top-notch performer when becoming a Classic winner in the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster just a few weeks ago.
He hit the line strongly up when runner-up behind King Of Steel at Royal Ascot earlier in the season and proved decent ground was no problem when an effortless winner of the Great Voltigeur at York.
Stepping back to a mile and a half on the back of his St Leger success shouldn't pose many issues and although he's short enough in the betting from a punting perspective, it's impossible to ignore his claims for a trainer that knows how to back one up in big races.
