Sunday 6th October 2019
Author: Jordan Yates
Image: Jordan Yates
Welcome to my 2019 Arc Preview as we look ahead to one of the biggest races in the world and one of my highlights of the year which is set to take place at Longchamp on Sunday.
Race Preview
This year’s renewal of the race is headed in the betting by the horse that has won it the last two years in a row and she needs no introduction John Gosden’s superstar Enable. She arrives here in better form than ever having won three Group 1’s this season which includes the Eclipse, King George and Yorkshire Oaks taking her career tally to a staggering 10. When winning this race for a second time last year she arrived here off a far from ideal preparation having suffered a set back which kept her out for a lot of the season, this showed when she appeared to be somewhat emptying and needing the line in the closing stages. She’ll be a lot more tuned up on this occasion and will have her legions of supporters cheering her and Frankie on for one last time.
Who makes up the opposition? J-C Rouget’s Prix du Jockey Club winner Sottsass is currently battling it out for the position for second favourite and is many people’s idea of the main danger to Enable. He lowered the colours of the well-fancied and very talented Persian King that day to win the Group 1 and has since gone on to win again in Group 2 company which was an ideal prep for this assignment. He’s currently a best priced of 6/1 and is set to be ridden by Cristian Demuro. Next up in the betting is the O’Brien duo and I’ll start off with the Juddmonte International winner that is Japan who’s the mount of Ryan Moore. He’s a horse that comes into the race in red hot form having won his last three races, the last two being Group 1’s with the penultimate one coming at this track in the Grand Prix de Paris in July. He appears to be going from the strength to strength at the moment and with the three-year-old allowance, he will be a very popular each-way play with punters. Making up the Ballydoyle pair is Magical who has spent a lot of the season behind Enable in her respective races, she’s a very smart sort herself and she showed this when winning the Irish Champion Stakes the last day at Leopardstown. She can currently be found trading at a general 9/1 and is the mount of Donnacha O’Brien.
Moving through the field we reach another raider from the UK and this is none other than the Godolphin representative Ghaiyyath who’s trained by Charlie Appleby and is to be ridden by William Buick. He’s already had three outings at this track winning a Group 3 and a Group 2 then finishing third in Group 1 company on his last outing at Longchamp. He was last seen when tried again in Group 1 company in the Preis Von Baden in Germany where he hacked up by a very impressive 14 lengths. On the back of that effort, he finds himself a best priced of around 11/1 here and will be another that will be a popular each-way selection with punters. Andre Fabre is once again represented in the race by the ever consistent Waldgeist, he was last seen when winning a Group 2 here last month and has once again had a very solid season winning a Group 1 here also, as well placing in two more top-level events in the UK. He was third in last year’s Arc and is set to be ridden by Pierre Charles-Boudot who had a fantastic day here on Saturday.
Race Verdict:
Do I think history will be made here? Putting it bluntly yes I do. It’s very hard for me to look past ENABLE here and I think she will write her name in the history books and bow out in style for John Gosden & Frankie Dettori. As stated in the preview to the race she arrives here in much better order than last season having had a full season under her belt where she has taken everything before her once again. Her draw won’t be an issue and neither will the ground and despite being up against some really smart sorts here I think she’ll get the job done. To make up the placings I believe the main danger is Aidan O’Brien’s Japan who I think is a serious horse. They’ve thought a lot of this one at home for a while and he’s justifying that with his performances as of late most recently when lowering the colours of Crystal Ocean in the Juddmonte at York. I believe he’ll give Enable most to think about. Ghaiyyath could well prove a threat as well if turning up in the form of his performance the last day, and I’ll have him to conclude my 1-2-3 in this year’s Arc.
Placings Prediction
1st: ENABLE
2nd: JAPAN
3rd: GHAIYYATH
Arc Day Selections
1:15 Prix Marcel Boussac
SAVARIN (5/2)
Trainer: A Fabre
Jockey: Y Take
“Got the better of some of today’s rivals last month in C&D Group 3. Likely a lot more to come from a well-bred sort for top connections”
1:50 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
ARMORY (3/1)
Trainer: A P O’Brien
Jockey: R Moore
“Won a Group 2 & 3 this season and bumped into Pinatubo when second in a Group 1 last time. Looks well worth his place here and a bold showing would be no surprise.”
3:05 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
ENABLE (4/6)
Trainer: J Gosden
Jockey: F Dettori
“Superstar who has won the last two Arc as well as ten Group 1’s. Won all three starts within Group 1 company this season and looks very hard to beat here.”
3:55 Prix de l’Opera
MEHDAAYIH (13/8)
Trainer: J Gosden
Jockey: F Dettori
“Smart filly who went close in Goodwood Group 1 the last day, if held on too for slightly longer today and in that kind of form again she should be going very close.”
4:30 Prix de l’Abbaye
BATTAASH (4/6)
Trainer: C Hills
Jockey: J Crowley
“Better than ever when winning the Nunthorpe last time at York and finding something to beat him here looks very difficult. If anywhere near his best he should be regaining his crown in this race.”
5:05 Prix de la Foret
ONE MASTER (4/1)
Trainer: W Haggas
Jockey: P C-Boudot
“She has an outstanding record when there’s cut in the ground and she’ll certainly get that here, winner of this race last year and with in-form jockey on board. Bold showing likely.”
Everything Racing 