The race may be seven weeks away but the Prix de l'Arc De Triomphe ante-post market sprang into life last week after Sea Of Class left her rivals in her wake at the York Ebor meeting.
Sea Of Class joined last year’s winner, Enable, at the head of the betting for the Arc after an emphatic win in Group One Yorkshire Oaks at York last Thursday, a race that Enable coincidently won on her way to French glory.
The three-year-old filly was sired by Sea The Stars, who won the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and Arc in the Tsui family’s famous yellow and purple colours in 2009 and her trainer William Haggas firmly believes that the family will have more French aspirations now.
Speaking after her Yorkshire Oaks romp, Haggas said “You always hope they are going to do something like that, but she really was impressive. She’s got a great turn of foot and she’s a strong traveller. She’s not in the Arc yet but I stress that it is ‘yet’. There is a lot of water to pass under the bridge but I imagine Mrs Tsui will be keen to pay the supplementary fee.”
After Cracksman missed the Juddmonte International at York last week, John Gosden revealed that he is unlikely to be seen again in public until the Arc itself on October 7th.
Last year's Champion Stakes winner has had a fairly frustrating season by Gosden’s high standards, despite winning the Prix Ganay and the Coronation Cup along the way.
Time is rapidly running out for a prep race before Longchamp, but Gosden is not unduly concerned at this stage:
"The ground was a bit quick for Cracksman to run in the Juddmonte, and we may take him straight to the Arc as he goes well fresh and is not the kind of horse that needs a prep," he said.
"The idea would be for him to take in two races in October and after the Arc point him to have another crack at the Champion Stakes. Hopefully before then we can get him on some nice ground on the Limekilns, although there does not seem to be much of that at the moment."
It’s also a worrying time for fans of Enable as she also skipped York and is now waiting for Kempton’s September Stakes to make her reappearance. The filly has not raced since landing the Arc ten months ago at Chantilly and her return has been delayed by the swelling in one of her knees back in May.
After winning the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) at Chantilly, Study Of Man was made a 20/1 shot for the Arc and remains at that price after flopping when odds-on in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano Haras du Logis Saint-Germain at Deauville last time out.
After the Harry Dunlop trained Knight To Behold crashed the party, Study Of Man’s connections were far from being disheartened.
Neither trainer Pascal Bary nor jockey Stephane Pasquier were too downbeat after the Deep Impact colt stayed on to be a never-nearer third.
"He was a bit rusty and had a good blow there afterwards," said racing manager, Alan Cooper. "Stephane said he wasn't quite at ease on the track and stumbled a couple of times, but he said he wasn't disappointed.
"A mile and a quarter might be a bit short for him now and we'll look towards the Arc, while he will be entered in the Prix Niel beforehand. It's far from the end of the world."
An interesting article can be found here on to why Study of Man is a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe contender.
The Andre Fabre-trained Waldgeist is another interesting home contender for the French.
Waldgeist was last seen when running down Frankie Dettori and Coronet to claim the Group One Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at the beginning of July. That win came on the back of a wide-margin success in the Group Two Grand Prix de Chantilly a month earlier.
Waldgeist put himself in contention for both the Cartier Horse of the Year and Older Horse awards when landing the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and undoubtedly will scoop both accolades should he win this year’s Arc.
The Andre Fabre-trained four-year-old has won three of his four starts this year and will be bidding to give Fabre his eighth Prix de l'Arc De Triomphe, his last coming in 2006 with Rail Link.
Andre Fabre will also saddle the popular Godolphin owned Talismanic at Longchamp.
Talismanic made a pleasing return to action when brushing aside his opposition in the Group Three Prix Gontaut-Biron over a mile and a quarter last time out, putting himself right in the picture for another crack at the French blue-riband event.
Talismanic was only 11th behind Found in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe as a three-year-old but has developed into a completely different physical specimen.
"The field was alright but the main thing is that he enjoyed himself and for the older horses that is important," said trainer Andre Fabre after his Deauville victory.
"We’re going to try for the Arc now. He is not in the Irish Champion but we’ll decide later in discussion with the owner."
The Sir Michael Stoute-trained pair of Crystal Ocean and Poet’s Word were both supported in the betting for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after they fought out an exhilarating finish in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
With Stoute confirming that Poet’s Word will miss the Irish Champion Stakes after his unlucky run in the Juddmonte International at York, there is every chance now that both horses will run at Longchamp.
888sport’s current Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe betting: Sea Of Class (9/2), Enable (11/2), Crystal Ocean (7/1), Cracksman (8/1), Lah Ti Dar (8/1), Poet’s Word (10/1), 20/1 bar.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
