Key events
Good morning all. It’s still a bit damp and drizzly in Paris but the Arc de Triomphe has been a glittering day in the European racing calendar since it became the target for the greatest horses on the continent and beyond in the post-War era. The forecast is for the precipitation to stop and we’re in for a fabulous day’s action on the track this afternoon.
Preamble
Greg Wood
Hello from Longchamp in the Bois de Boulogne, where the 16 runners in the 103rd running of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe are due to set off at 4.20 local time, or 3.20 BST. Unlike 12 months ago, when many unprepared racegoers from Britain and Ireland had lobster-pink necks by lunchtime, it is a damp and chilly day here, although there is little sign of any significant rain at present.
The going is therefore likely to remain soft throughout the afternoon, which is arguably not ideal for the Japanese-trained challenger, Shin Emperor, but he remains prominent in the big-race betting at around 6-1 with British bookies.
This is an unusually open running of the Arc on paper, with four three-year-olds – Los Angeles, Sosie, Look De Vega and Shin Emperor – at the top of the lists – but no certainty as yet about which of them will set off as favourite. Look De Vega, though, has taken a brisk trot in the betting this morning, and the French Derby winner, who was shading 4-1 favouritism from Sosie two days ago, is all the way out to 17-2 with one firm at present.
The fact that Aidan O’Brien reeled off a four-timer on the card here on Saturday, including two Group One wins, can only add to the confidence behind the trainer’s main hope Los Angeles, while his second Group One winner yesterday was a big outsider ridden by Christophe Soumillon – just like his second-string in today’s Arc, the 2023 St Leger winner, Continuous.
Al Riffa, trained in Ireland by Joseph O’Brien but due to be ridden this afternoon by Japan’s veteran superstar jockey, Yutaka Take, is currently the only older horse at a single-figure price, but you could make some sort of case for at least a dozen of the runners. Bluestocking and Sunway, the only contenders from British stables, are definitely in that dozen, although in terms of both numbers and likely odds, this is the weakest British challenge for the Arc for some time.
There are plenty of live contenders from British yards on the undercard, though, and in the Prix de l’Abbaye in particular, where Bradsell and Hollie Doyle head the market as they go in search of their third Group One win in a row, and their fourth in all.
Ralph Beckett’s Kinross, the Prix de la Foret winner two years ago and the runner-up last year, is back for another tussle with the 2023 winner, Kelina, at 4.40, while the card kicks off with two Group Ones for juveniles.
With six Group Ones for all ages, genders and at all distances up to a mile-and-a-half, there is something on the card for everyone and you can, as always, follow all the action live here on the blog from the first hoof-fall to the last.
