Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: runner-by-runner guide
Sixteen contenders remain in the mix for the €5m Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after Monday's forfeit stage. Check out our guide to all the names in contention and check back later in the week after the draw and final declarations for our big-race verdict.
ACE IMPACT
Age: 3 Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget Odds : 3-1
Unbeaten in five starts, he looks top-class given the last-to-first running style that exhibits his potent turn of foot and in top-level races this term which have worked out well to boot.
He truly announced himself in the Prix du Jockey Club with a scintailliating performance when running down genuine Group One performer Big Rock in a race where the pace generally held up and, while not as visually impressive next time, he similarly overcame a positional disadvantage when not fully tuned up to land the hugely valuable Prix Guillaume D'Ornano on his return.
He's the most exciting runner in the line-up and probably deserves to be favourite in receipt of weight and after a perfect French-style prep, but this strong traveller is yet to race against older horses - who may not come back to him as easily on the front end here - while he has also looked particularly potent at 10 furlongs and the 12 furlongs in the cauldron of an Arc is something that is unproven at this stage.
However, a fairly dry forecast and not an abundance of pace in this race (on paper) should suit and, while you can ask questions, it's difficult to take a firm view against him and we simply don't know quite how good he is yet.
HUKUM
Age: 5 Trainer: Owen Burrows Odds : 9-2
He cruelly suffered an injury setback after travelling oh-so well to win the Coronation Cup last year in a then career-best, but the admirable five-year-old has made good for his enforced absence with two wins from two starts since and looking better than ever on both occasions.
He didn’t get an ideal passage when beating Desert Crown in a sparkling performance in the Brigadier Gerard, while he also travelled best at Ascot before rolling up his sleeves to come out on top in a brawling battle with Westover - a customarily strong finisher - in a highly-anticipated King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Hukum certainly looks to have got quicker with age and his versatility here – he will see out a strongly-run 1m4f while this strong traveller also has the turn of foot to deal with a quicker set-up - makes appeal with his experience an additional asset. Along with the fact that he's posted his best efforts on his last two runs, the elder statesman has a compelling profile here and he's a very serious contender.
FEED THE FLAME
Age: 3 Trainer: Pascal Bary Odds : 8-1
Only one of five at a single-figure price in the current betting, he ran ok in the Prix du Jockey Club but ultimately had no answer to Ace Impact and additionally lost momentum and faded in the closing stages in that Classic assignment.
He's looked better up in trip since then though, notably with a visually brilliant Grand Prix de Paris triumph when zig-zagging his way through the field from last to first on his first start at 1m4f in a ready victory at the line from Adelaide River.
The Prix Niel last time was a prep for this and that trial wasn't run to suit given he races patiently at the back of the field, but he picked up quite nicely albeit from a position too far back to overhaul the winner Fantastic Moon. His patient tactics in a race like an Arc are a bit of a niggle though and the overall weight of his form doesn't look so compelling given his fairly short price. He looks one to try and take on towards the top of the market.
WESTOVER
Age: 4 Trainer: Ralph Beckett Odds : 13-2
This strong finisher has looked an improved model this year and has hopes of improving on last year's sixth-place finish.
He was no match for the world-class Equinox in Dubai in March but he finished off really nicely after running keen early on. With the beneft of ever-trusty hindsight, the fast downhill finish of a Coronation Cup at a track like Epsom was unlikely to see him to best effect but again he finished really well after having no answer to Emily Upjohn's turn of foot at the top of the straight.
His win at short odds at Saint-Cloud has been boosted by the strong-travelling runner-up landing Group One honours in Germany next time (beating Mr Hollywood there) and another strong finish underlined the fact that his chances will be best served by a strong test at this trip. That might not be certain, but this likeable type has very reasonable pace claims all the same.
SIMCA MILLE
Age: 4 Trainer: Stephane Wattel Odds : 16-1
Second in the Prix Ganay earlier in the season with Bay Bridge just behind in third, he has looked better back up to his optimum trip of 1m4f on his last two starts, firstly when coasting home in Group Two company at Chantilly in June before striking in the Group One Grosser Preiss von Baden next time and in a manner more commanding than the ¾-length margin at the line suggests, travelling best and hitting the front pretty easily a furlong from home.
He's coming into this after two visually good wins and he’s in decent form, while he travels quite nicely and shouldn't be too far off the pace. He doesn't really appeal for win purposes and his form is not as compelling as the principal protagonists, but he should enjoy the nature of this test and it's entirely feasible that he can go pretty well.
THROUGH SEVEN SEAS
Matin pluvieux matin heureux ! La japonaise Through Seven Seas a travaillé sur Les Réservoirs jeudi matin en vue du Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. #スルーセブンシーズ#QPATpic.twitter.com/LhowBmuDw6
— Jour de Galop (@JourdeGalop) September 21, 2023
Age: 5 Trainer: Tomohito Ozeki Odds : 16-1
No horse has got closer to the world’s best turf performer Equinox than this mare did in the Group One Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin last time and, in an Arc that might be run on better ground than usual, she looks one of the more interesting ones at double-figure prices for a nation that has repeatedly proven its prowess on the international stage in recent years.
Through Seven Seas is the only representative for Japan this time and the way she closed to the line after suffering late interference in a big field bodes well for this contest. She went off at a big price for that latest run and it was her 12th start - can she really be making big strides now as a five-year-old? - but it's feasible that she is unexposed at this trip and it's difficult to genuinely discount her.
PLACE DU CAROUSSEL
Age: 4 Trainer: Andre Fabre Odds : 20-1
This Group One winner came from a pretty remarkable position to beat Nashwa in the Prix de l’Opera in testing ground here on her final start of last season and she has continued in good form this term.
Stamina looked her forte there and she ran better than the finishing position suggested in the Prix Ganay over shorter earlier this year when a bit further back than ideal (albeit not as far back as the winner Iresine) and just flattening out late on.
They tottered around in the Prix Foy in what was not a strong test for her first try at 1m4f and she was all out to hold off Iresine after getting first run on that rival, but she travelled well and she is unexposed at this distance. She's quite likeable, but the dry forecast all week isn't ideal for her and it's difficult to see her genuinely in the shake-up.
BAY BRIDGE
Age: 5 Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute Odds : 14-1
Last year's Champion Stakes winner hasn't quite hit the heights so far this term but he does tend to come good at this time of year (bar his two-year-old debut, now 3-3 in October) and he's unexposed at this 1m4f distance.
In truth he's been a bit too keen for his own good all season, firstly when third in the Prix Ganay and then when once again travelling best in the Tattersalls Gold Cup when second behind Luxembourg. He travelled quite well at Royal Ascot in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes but he flatted out a bit late on.
He enjoyed the drop in grade and an easier surface in the September Stakes last time, a Group Three race which has a decent roll of honour and one that Enable featured in more than once before her Arc bids. That first success since his Champion Stakes win will do no harm and an Arc that doesn't look a stern test at the trip - at least on paper - should suit him. While the bare form of Kempton is nothing to write home about, there is a chance he could be coming to the boil at just the right time and he could go quite nicely here.
FREE WIND
Age: 5 Trainer: John and Thady Gosden Odds : 25-1
The mare looks one of the more intriguing ones at bigger prices.
She looked a Group One winner in waiting after a remarkable success in the Lancashire Oaks over a year ago and, after an enforced injury lay-off, she returned with a fine success in the Middleton Stakes at York over a very steadily-run 10 furlongs – very much a minimum for her – and in a race which has worked out fantastically well.
She may have still have been feeling the effects of her big effort and on ground quicker than ideal in the Hardwicke Stakes next time, but she still ran on under tentative handling quite nicely and she wasn’t seen to best effect on bottomless ground over 1m6f at Goodwood afterwards.
She again found well at the end of the Yorkshire Oaks when just repelled at the line by a subsequent Group One winner who got first run and Free Wind was around two and a half lengths quicker in the final half-mile according to the sectional data.
The stable has a fine record in this race but, while she's clearly not an Enable, the switch back to easier ground will suit and she has place prospects at decent odds under Frankie Dettori, who seems likely to ride in his final Arc.
ONESTO
Age: 4 Trainer: Fabrice Chappet Odds : 33-1
The Group One winner made some modest late headway to finish 10th last year in a race where not many got into it in driving rain on deep ground and the forecast and set-up might just suit a bit more this time.
There is further optimism for a better showing this year afer a really pleasing return in the Prix Jacques le Marois on his belated return, travelling notably well before coming off the bridle late on and then sticking on quite nicely to finish only three and a half lengths behind Inspiral in fourth. However, although he travelled quite well in the Irish Champion Stakes last time his effort in the straight was poor and it's off-putting that he ran much better at Leopardstown last year.
He's hard to genuinely fancy on the back of that, but if he confirms something like the Deauville impression at this more suitable distance he's another that could go quite well at his forecast odds with outside place claims a possibility.
MR HOLLYWOOD
Age: 3 Trainer: Henk Grewe Odds : 33-1
One of the more lightly-raced contenders here with just five previous starts, he is versatile in terms of ground and he was only behind Fantastic Moon – the subsequent Prix Niel winner – in the Deutsches Derby in July before just getting pipped by Zagrey last time in the Grosser Preis von Baden. That horse had previously shaped well behind Westover at Saint Cloud.
It all looks fair enough on paper and he's worth his chance for a nation that has a rich history in the Arc, though it's worth pointing out that Mr Hollywood got the run of things in the Grosser Preis von Baden and the feeling is that more of stamina test at this trip would suit.
SISFAHAN
Age: 5 Trainer: Henk Grewe Odds : 100-1
The strong chestnut has kept good company in Germany in three starts this term, shaping as if wanting further than 1m4f on the first two starts when ridden cold at the back of the field in races that were not particularly well-run but he disappointed under more forward tactics in a slightly messy Grosser Preiss von Baden last time, when he was additionally keen off a modest gallop.
This big field should cater for the return of more patient tactics once again and he should be sticking on at the end, though the evidence so far suggests that it will be at a modest distance and the better ground than perhaps expected would be against him, too. All the same, he makes the most appeal of the outsiders at the very big prices.
HAYA ZARK
Age: 4 Trainer: Adrien Fouassier Odds : 100-1
This is quite the spot to make your Group One debut (only runner in this field yet to run at the top level) and he has shown his best form on the deep ground that he will not get here if the forecast is right (three of his four wins have been on ground descrived as Very Soft or Heavy).
For all his return last time was a run with a view to autumn targets, he didn’t shape with obvious promise in fairly weak company in the context of this race when finishing three lengths behind Jack Darcy, rated 112 for Paul and Oliver Cole in Britain.
SPREWELL
Age: 3 Trainer: Jessica Harrington Odds : 100-1
He was talked up as something of a dark horse ahead of the Derby and he shaped with promise at Epsom when suffering interference at a crucial stage but he didn't confirm the impression in the Irish Derby next time when not finishing with purpose at the Curragh.
Shane Foley cited the ground as a reason why his mount hung late on - the jockey also mentioned the ground after his disappointment in the Irish Champion Stakes last time - and this colt is unlikely to get the genuinely soft ground which has seen him to best effect so far. Strictly on the book, he's an impressive winner of the Group Three Derby Trial at Leopardstown so far - form which has not been well advertsed – and he has plenty to find here.
EMILY DICKINSON
Age: 4 Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Odds : 66-1
This strong stayer has shaped quite well over much further this season, sticking on quite well in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot after somewhat feeling the pinch when the pace quickened around half a mile from home and she fared about best of those in behind runaway winner Quickthorn in the Goodwood Cup, a race in which she had no chance from right out the back.
Her trainer has suggested that the Prix Du Cadrn over a mile further is the target for her on Arc weekend and she rates an unlikely runner here.
CONTINUOUS
Age: 3 Trainer: Aidan O'Brien Odds : 7-1 (needs supplementing)
This Classic winner has really improved throughout the season, although he did go better than the finishing position suggested on his second start of the campaign when eighth in the Prix de Jockey Club, using up early gas to get a prominent position at Chantilly and being eased off in the final furlong when he didn't pick up as expected.
He hit the line strongly up at 1m4f for the first time behind King Of Steel at Royal Ascot and he underlined that strong-finishing habit and in style in the Great Voltigeur at York before his career-best in a competitive St Leger last time which, in truth, he won pretty easily.
This is clearly tougher, but he looks to be getting better and while the Arc was not a long-term target trainer Aidan O'Brien said immediately in his post-race interview at Doncaster that this would be a strong possibility. There's always the niggle that this comes too soon, but he's won his last two starts fairly readily and, while competitive, this doesn't look an especially deep nor stamina-sapping Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
He's set to be supplemented at significant cost and top connections will be hopeful of recouping that fee, even if he looks somewhat vulnerable for win purposes.
