My Five Contenders For The 2022 Prix De L'Arc de Triomphe

12/03/2023
4 min. read
Prix de l'arc de triomphe
Steve Mullington
By Steve Mullington

On Sunday 2nd October 2022, all eyes will be on ParisLongchamp for the 101st running of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Here at the 888sport blog, we take a look at five horses that stand a great chance of lifting Europe's premier middle distance race. You may want to consider them when placing your horse racing online bets.

Al Hakeem

Regarded by his connections earlier in the season as “the next Sottsass”, Al Hakeem could well be a dark horse in this year’s Arc.

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, the three-year-old made up for a mediocre run in the Prix du Jockey Club by landing the spoils in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano (Group 2) at the Deauville-Barrière Meeting.

To be fair, he actually recorded the best closing sectionals in the Chantilly race after a very tardy start, which if corrected gives him a big shout over these two extra two furlongs.

La Parisienne

La Parisienne was very narrowly touched off by Nashwa in the French Oaks in June, then exactly the same thing happened to her in the Prix Vermeille on Arc Trials Day.

So in theory she could actually be a dual Group 1 winner if her luck had been a little bit better. If she avoids any mishaps in the Arc and her rider is a tad more tactically aware, she could well be a player at decent odds.

C & Y Lerner-trained horses have been running well at ParisLongchamp this season which gives any prospective punters for her more grounds for optimism. 

Mendocino

The Grosser Preis von Baden has always been a decent Arc barometer down the years and none more so than last year when Torquator Tasso completed the von Baden and Arc double.

This year the Frau S Steinberg-trained Mendocino lowered the colours of Torquator Tasso in a power-packed conclusion to the Grosser Preis von Baden, which would lead you to think that the new German star can put up a bold show in this year’s Arc too.

Torquator Tasso has shown that last year’s Arc victory was no fluke by running up to a high level this term too, so Mendocino must have something going for him.

Alpinista

Alpinista is the shortest-priced British-trained horse for the Arc and it is easy to understand why.

Following four successive Group One wins on mainland Europe, she bagged her first top-level victory on home soil with some ease in the Yorkshire Oaks at the Ebor meeting in August.

The five-year-old has won her last seven starts and the Kirsten Rausing-owned mare just never gives in. She’s certainly got every chance in Paris.

Onesto

July’s Grand Prix de Paris has spewed out some excellent form lines since and the race itself was won by Fabrice Chappet's three-year-old Onesto.

The runner-up Simca Mille lifted the Prix Niel, whilst the fourth that day Eldar Eldarov was victorious in the St Leger.

Throw into the mix Onesto’s half a length beating by Luxembourg in the Irish Champion Stakes and it gives the Frankel-colt one hell of a  good shout in the Arc.

Already excited for next year’s Flat season? Then why not check out our early Royal Ascot betting!

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th September 2022

About the Author See all Steve Mullington Articles
Steve Mullington
Steve Mullington

Steven is a sports and horse racing enthusiast and is a member of the Horseracing Writers and Photographers Association (HWPA) in the United Kingdom.

He is a regular visitor to Paris Longchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and a lifelong fan of the Aintree Grand National, a subject he writes about 52 weeks of the year. Last year he reached the impressive milestone of attending the last 30 renewals of the Grand National.