Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2017

Bugger it Ron, just pay the parking, after all, Arc day is a once a year treat.

 

I don't even know if we'll drive to the meeting Cyc. I'm assuming we'll drive on Saturday evening to wherever we are staying but I'm not 100%; there are plenty of options Depending on where we stay it might be easier to get to the track by some other means and leave the car at the hotel. My guess is we'll leave the hotel early, park in the course and go for a wander.

 

Crikey, I see Cracksman is as low as 3/1 with 2 bookies and Capri as low as 8s. That would be too much if those 2 turned up. I might even be worried

 

One thing is for sure. We're going to see Enable but won't be burdening her with our money. Might just find one that looks great and back it win and place. I hope Enable doesn't look anything like Treve did the year Golden Horn won. That was a big disappointment seeing her like that. But we did back GH who looked a picture.

 

From RUK:

Arc countdown: Ulysses set to clash with Enable but no decision over Cracksman
Sun 17 Sep 2017
By Racinguk.com staff

Sir Michael Stoute says it is "very possible" Ulysses will tackle next month's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly.

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Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International as well as finishing second to Enable in the King George at Ascot.

The Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on November 4 was initially nominated as Ulysses' target following his York success, but Stoute has confirmed he may now stop off in France on October 1 on the way to his American date.

He said: "The Arc is very possible and we're aiming for that at the moment. The Breeders' Cup is not until five weeks after the Arc, so there's plenty of time between both races."

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Ulysses enjoyed a canter in front of the public on Sunday morning as part of Newmarket's Open Weekend and John Gosden also had his stars out in force.

Enable, who beat Ulysses by four and a half lengths at Ascot, is firmly on course for the Arc after her easy five-length victory in the Yorkshire Oaks last time out - her fourth successive Group One win.

Gosden said: "All being well, she's pointing for the Arc.

Enable also cantered in Newmarket, following stablemate Cracksman up the gallop.

Plans for Cracksman are still up in the air following his wide-margin win in the Voltigeur at York and his impressive Prix Niel success at Chantilly last Sunday.

The three-year-old is entered for the Arc, but Gosden and owner Anthony Oppenheimer have expressed their reservations about tackling the race this year.

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Gosden said: "I do not necessarily want to commit to the Arc. If it was at Longchamp, I would probably not hesitate, but Chantilly is a very different track and possibly his Arc is next year, but no decision will be made until later on.

"He's in the Champion Stakes as well and he's already a winner over a mile and a quarter.

"The key thing about Ascot is the draw. You don't want to be drawn wide as it cost Jack Hobbs (when third in 2015) being drawn wide as a three-year-old.

"There are a number of decisions to be made, but I'll be in no rush."

Coral cut Ulysses to 8-1 (from 10-1) in a market headed by Enable at Evens. Betfair and Paddy still quote Cracksman at 10-1, but Sky Bet make him 3-1 with a run.

 

I am sure these will Enable you to spot the favourite:

 

Thanks QM

 

Just had quite a juicy bet on ORDER OF ST GEORGE 12/1 ew is a shoo in for a place at the very least, ok Enable is the likeliest winner but I wouldn't touch her at current odds. He is the strongest ballydoyle horse imo too- Highland Reel needs fast ground , Capri has no chance of beating him and Winter i doubt she will run (altho I have a ticket for this with 20/1 on it for her) but OOSG is in ten times the form he was last year after he struggled to get past Wicklow Brave in the Irish leger last year compared to when he blitzed the field this year! If you ran the Ascot gold cup another 99 times he would win it just so happened the one time he would get beaten was on the day. On Irish leger day he was ridden a lot more prominently which from the looks of it he loved it. I hope they use him like this on the day as he certainly wouldn't want a sprint at the maybe dictate a fast pace, properly wind it up from a few furlongs out and say to Enable catch me if you good enough!

 

Looking at the Arc at the moment, I do not see Cracksman showing up and the Prix Niel form may not be represented at all as the Fabre second string Avilius relegated Finche to third and neither looks good enough to compete, although Fabre generally does not have his fully wound up for the prep races.

I think that the Vermeille winner Bateel could be added to the race but given that Gosden’s Journey ran second there he will know that Enable has her measure unless it comes up very soft. Bateel does hold an entry for the Prix De L’Opera (as do Winter and Journey) but according to the Garuniad the owner wants to go to the Fillies & Mares race at Ascot where she is entered.

Despite their abysmal showing in the Prix Foy, the Japanese are not to be totally written off. Presumably they will have administered a sound beating to the jockey on pacemaker Satono Noblesse and on the day he will get out of the stalls and set off like a scalded cat to aid his stablemate Satono Diamond. The German Foy winner will take his chance but I doubt that I saw the Arc winner on Arc Trials day.

I cannot see any reason why Ulysses will reverse Ascot running with Enable and he does appear to be a possible because the race looks weak rather than because it was the plan. We know the Breeders’ Cup Turf is the objective for the owners.

Order Of St George ran a good race last year and looks like the most likely Ballydoyle contender as Highland Reel will stay at home if it is soft and nobody appears to be making much noise about Capri taking his chance in search of the St Leger—Arc double that has never been done.

The home team looks very depleted, with Grand Prix de Saint Cloud winner Zarak a possible whilst Shakeel is definitely out, Brametot’s participation is undecided and Goldikova’s daughter Terrakova has not been seen since running third in the Prix De Diane in June.

I hope Enable wins by a street as she is the best horse in the race.

 

Order Of St George was heavily flattered by the track bias last year and its a much stronger race this time, id be disappointed if he finished in the first 5.

 

^^^ This comes from the man who said last year O'Brien had nothing good enough for the race cue the stable's 1-2-3

 

SIljans Saga was 4th and his 3 all benefited from track bias, it was also the worst Arc in my time. Found was a decent horse, arsechaser but decent, and usually got beaten against the top ones in the races that mattered. Highland Reel and OOSG should never be good enough to win an Arc and they werent, the fact they placed explains why Found was able to win one, because it was a poor renewal.

 

very strange schedule for Arc day - a couple of 2 year old races and then just before the Arc an Arab race

poor old ITV will only get to cover these 4 races, with some of the better races taking place after they have gone off air

 

Gosden statement today says Cracksman not running, which most pretty well knew would be the case.

 

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Grand National for me, each term, is the ‘Who will start favourite’ market. I see Ladbrokes have priced up a similarly interesting market on who will Ryan Moore ride in The Arc – they wager 5/4 Order of St George, 5/2 Capri, 11/4 Winter, 6/1 The Highland Reel and 20/1 A.N. Other. Never heard of this A.N. Other horse but he can’t be that great if he’s as big as 20’s in the betting. In all seriousness though top marks to them as this is a curious little sideshow.

 

I wonder if Ryan Moore will have a bet on this

 

After the first forfeit stage, there are just nineteen possibles for the Arc, subject to any supplementary entries added on Wednesday, which we expect to include Enable:

Older colts and horses: Cloth Of Stars (Andre Fabre), Doha Dream (Andre Fabre), Dschingis Secret (Markus Klug), Highland Reel (Aidan O’Brien), Idaho (Aidan O’Brien), Iquitos (Hans-Juergen Groschel), One Foot In Heaven (Alain De Royer Dupre), Order Of St George (Aidan O’Brien), Satono Diamond (Yasutoshi Ikee), Satono Noblesse (Yasutoshi Ikee), Silverware (Pascal Bary), Ulysses (Sir Michael Stoute), Zarak (Alain De Royer Dupre)
Older fillies and mares: Seventh Heaven (Aidan O’Brien)
Three year old colts: Brametot (Jean-Claude Rouget), Capri (Aidan O’Brien), Cliffs Of Moher (Aidan O’Brien), Plumatic (Andre Fabre)
Three year old fillies: Winter (Aidan O’Brien)

The ‘going’ report at Chantilly is currently Soft (Penetrometer reading 3.7) and there is rain forecast for Saturday, so I think at least one of the Ballydoyle septet will not be making the journey. That said, what the French mean by Soft does not really bear any comparison with what we would consider to be Soft in the UK.

 

I'm taking on the jolly with Brametot in the arc.

 

We should have taken the 11/4, team. Ryan has chosen to ride Winter in the Arc. The filly is now as low as 6/1.