Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1)

We’ve reached the autumn highlight of the flat season in Europe, the Arc.

Dayrz looks to do what Alleged did in the seventies: be the first male to win back-to-back Arcs.

The draw has been kind to him; he’s in stall five. He beat Minnie Hauk a head last year. This year his form has been good; he took the Ganay in April over 10½f, adding the Prix Aga Khan IV (Prix d’Ispahan)  over 9½f in May, before disappointing in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes over 10f (finishing third). He returned to winning ways in his trial for this winning the Prix Foy over this trip, 12f.

15 will oppose him.

3yo Fillies

3yo fillies have a great record in this. Think Treve in 2013 and Enable in 2017. This year: Thundering On and Diamond Necklace try to emulate them.

Thundering On is in stall 3; Diamond Necklace gets the car park draw, all the way out in 16. Thundering On hacked up in the Oaks, disappointed in the Pretty Polly Stakes over 10f, then returned to hacking up in the Blandford Stakes, again over 10f.

---

Diamond Necklace has been a real star for Ballydoyle. Seven runs, six wins. A Group 1 winner here last year in the Prix Marcel Boussac, she added the Poule d’Essai Des Pouliches, Prix de Diane and Nassau Stakes this year. Her only blot on the copybook came in her last run at Deauville, when running second to Aventure in the Prix Jean et Louis Romanet. This will be her first time running over 12f.

3yo Colts

3yo colts don’t have a bad record here either. As well as Dayrz, last year Ace Impact in 2023 and Golden Horn in 2015 have won it. This year, Benvenuto Cellini, Maltese Cross, Varandir, and Bright Light will try to do it.

The draw has worked well for Benvenuto Cellini; he’s in stall 1. The Derby favourite got his leg stuck in the stalls and was ruled a non-runner. He won the Irish Derby thereafter, was beaten in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, finishing third, and didn’t fire in the Prix Niel, finishing fifth last time out.

Maltese Cross finished second in the Derby, got through the tiniest of gaps to win the Grand Prix de Paris, and followed up in the Great Voltigeur Stakes.

Varandir only made his debut in April, winning three on the bounce; he finished fourth in the Grand Prix de Paris and then booked his place here by taking the Prix Neil.

Bright Light looks to emulate Danedream’s win for Germany in 2011. He ran second in the Grosser Preis von Berlin and third in the Grosser Preis von Baden. It’s foolhardy to underestimate the German form after Hotazhell’s victory in the Irish Champion Stakes. Bright Light was beaten a neck by Tiffany, who franked the form in America, taking the Kentucky Turf Cup Invitational Stakes from last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Ethical Diamond.

4 yo’s

Five 4yo’s, including Dayrz, go to post. One mare, Minnie Hauk, and three other colts.

Minnie Hauk ran a cracker here last year to go down to Dayrz. She hasn’t quite captured the level of form she had last year when winning The Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks. Two placed efforts in the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, second to Ombudsman, and in the Yorkshire Oaks, third to Kalpana, puts her in with a shout.

Bay City Roller is no mug. Second in the Tattersalls Gold Cup was followed by a Coronation Cup win. He chased home Dayrz in the Prix Foy on the run-up to this.

Saddadd has been growing in confidence; a handicap winner last year, he stepped into G1 company this year, running third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, fourth in the Eclipse, and then made the breakthrough, winning the Grosser Preis von Baden over 12f.

Chestnut Rocket is the outsider of the field. He was just beaten by Al Aasy in a G2 at Deauville last time out. Al Aasy won again at Newmarket yesterday, giving some shine to the form.

5 yo’s

A quintet of 5yo’s, a pair of colts from Japan, one French colt and a pair of English mares.

Friendly Soul won the Prix de l’Opera here last year. She found Blue Bolt too good at Royal Ascot, finished third, and Diamond Necklace in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, finished second. She took the Prix Vermeille here two weeks ago.

The other mare is Kalpana. She was beaten a short head at Royal Ascot in the Hardwicke by Giavelletto. She then won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, beating Calandgan, and followed up in the Yorkshire Oaks.

The Japanese don’t have an Orfevre, second in 2013, but will look to break the Arc glass ceiling with Meisho Tabaru. He’s a double winner of the Takarazuka Kinen, beating Croix Du Nord, who took the scalp of Daryz in the Prix du Prince d’Orange last year.

Admire Terra is the other Japanese representative. He was only a ½L off Croix Du Nord in the Tenno Sho(Spring) over 16f in May.

The French colt, Arrow Eagle, won the Prix Royal-Oak last year over 15f and last time out finished third in the G2 won by Al Aasy at Deauville.

Conclusion

As ever, there’s a deep field for the Arc. The ground is good, and it could well mitigate any draw bias. When Daryz won this last year, it was very soft. He’s versatile on ground, but he’s a very short price at 7/4 to win it. He could well do an Alleged; however, there are plenty of others that come into the mix.

There will be plenty of support on the PMU for Kalpana and Maltese Cross from the English who’ll travel. Kalpana just got home at York last time, and Maltese Cross beat Pierre Bonnard last time, and he was well beaten here yesterday.

Varandir could improve as Daryz did last year. Meisho Tabaru could give the Japanese something to shout about.

The Irish are all thereabouts. Benvenuto Cellini is the choice of Ryan Moore with a favourable draw. Diamond Necklace may overcome the bad draw, but doing that and also proving she stays is a big ask. Minnie Hauk might rediscover her 3yo form; the engine is still there, York was her best run so far this year; from stall 10 she’s interesting again.

Think Treve and Enable. Think Thundering On. A 3yo filly getting weight from her elders, well drawn in 3, who prepped really well for this at the Curragh after a summer break. It’s she who catches the eye.

Recommendation

Thundering On 8/1 ew