The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe has a slogan, first used on a promotional poster in 2003: “Ce n’est pas une course, c’est un monument” (It’s not a race, it’s a monument).
The world’s greatest turf race is also Europe’s richest, nothing short of a continental championship and rivalled only by the Derby at Epsom as the most coveted prize in European racing.
It also offers a fees-paid berth in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf as part of the ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge, Europe’s interest in which concludes with no fewer than five G1 qualifying events on Sunday’s card at ParisLongchamp.
The Arc’s roll of honour is like no other turf race, featuring a litany of European racing greats, from Ribot and Sea-Bird via Mill Reef and Dancing Brave to Montjeu, Zarkava, Sea The Stars and dual winner Treve.
Eight horses have won the Arc twice. None has won the race – worth €3m in this coronavirus-affected year – three times, which is why the magnificent mare Enable, world number one on the TRC Global Horse Rankings, stands on the verge on history once more as she runs in her fourth Arc after triumphing in 2017 and 2018.
But not 2019, where she suffered heartbreaking defeat, caught in the final 100 yards by Waldgeist on what was described as ‘very soft’ ground – conditions likely to prevail again with further rain in the forecast.
With six victories, Frankie Dettori has ridden more Arc winners than anybody else, but his memories of the aftermath of the 2019 Arc are less than positive. “The three hours that followed last year’s defeat were the worst of my entire professional career,” he admits. “Frankly there is less pressure involved [in Sunday’s race] and it’s not because there are fewer people in Paris, It’s because we have already experienced disappointment last year.”
While Khalid Abdullah’s formidable daughter of Nathaniel might not want an absolute bog, she won her first Arc with a smashing performance on soft ground at Chantilly; according to Racing Post Ratings, it was the best of her career.
The prospect of a potentially thrilling clash between Enable and spectacular dual Classic winner Love was scuppered when the latter was scratched owing to worries about the ground. Longchamp’s loss is Kentucky’s gain as she is now 6/4 favourite with Ladbrokes for her new nominated target, the Breeders’ Cup Turf.
Her trainer, Aidan O’Brien, still has four Arc runners, however, including shock Derby winner Serpentine, supplemented this week for €72,000, and impressive Grand Prix de Paris victor Mogul, plus last year’s fourth, Japan.
The French defence is headed by last year’s third, Sottsass, and Jean-Claude Rouget-trained stable companion Raabihah – another 3-year-old filly getting weight. Persian King steps up in trip for record Arc-winning trainer Andre Fabre, while Deutsches Derby winner In Swoop also has his supporters.
For the neutral, though, this is all about Enable as she seeks her 12th G1 win on what is probably her final run, so let’s leave the final word here to her trainer John Gosden.
“The Enable adventure has been fantastic and, if she wins on Sunday, it would be wonderful,” says the world’s top-ranked trainer. “However, above all, the only thing we ask of the mare is that she gives it her best shot. I’m sure that she will do that.”
And whatever happens, one thing’s for sure: she’ll go down as one of the greatest fillies of all-time.
The Arc: a bit of context
History: Europe’s richest race was inaugurated in 1920 when the first edition was won by Comrade, trained in England by Pretty Polly’s trainer, Peter Galpin. The new race was named after the Arc de Triomphe, the monument on the Champs Elysees that was the scene of a victory parade by the Allies in the wake of World War I.
Star turn: Sea-Bird (1965). Already a superstar by virtue of his Derby triumph at Epsom, Sea-Bird slammed a truly international field that was also perhaps the strongest in Arc history, his rivals including winners of Derbys in Ireland (Meadow Court), France (Reliance) and Russia (Anilin), the America’s Preakness victor Tom Rolfe and the Prix de Diane winner Blabla. Sent off 6/5 favourite, he won eased down by an official margin of six lengths – despite veering across the track. Sea-Bird’s end-of-season Timeform rating of 145 was the highest ever until Frankel’s 147 as a 4-year-old in 2012. In their book A Century of Champions, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Sea-Bird the greatest racehorse of the 20th century, a pound ahead of Secretariat and two in front of Ribot and Brigadier Gerard.
Most wins (trainer): Andre Fabre (8): Trempolino (1987), Subotica (1992), Carnegie (1994), Peintre Celebre (1997), Sagamix (1998), Hurricane Run (2005), Rail Link (2006), Waldgeist (2019)
Most wins (jockey): Frankie Dettori (6): Lammtarra (1995), Sakhee (2001), Marienbard (2002), Golden Horn (2015), Enable (2017, 2018)
Breeders’ Cup Challenge
The Arc winner will receive an automatic fees-paid berth in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on November 7. A minimum travel allowance of $40,000 will also be provided for all starters based outside North America.
Already qualified (8): Nao Do Mais (GP Carlos Pellegrini, San Isidro, Buenos Aires), Lord North (Prince of Wales’s Stakes, Royal Ascot), Chrono Genesis (Takarazuka Kinen, Hanshin), Enable (King George, Ascot), Red King (Del Mar Handicap); Channel Maker (Sword Dancer, Saratoga), Magical (Irish Champion, Leopardstown), Pimper’s Paradise (Grande Premio Brasil, Gávea)
Breeders’ Cup past performance
Enable’s victory after a thrilling battle with Magical in the Breeders’ Cup Turf of 2018 finally ended the notorious hoodoo that had seen previous Arc winners endure a notable sequence of defeat after defeat at the Breeders’ Cup. Eight Arc winners had run at the Breeders’ Cup before Enable; all eight had been beaten, seven in the Turf, starting with the brilliant Dancing Brave in 1986, plus Sakhee in the Classic.
That said, it may be worth noting that several horses beaten in France have gone on to triumph in North America. Since the turn of the century, they include High Chaparral (twice, in 2002 and 2003, after coming third both times in the Arc), Shirocco (fourth, 2005), Conduit (fourth, 2009), St Nicholas Abbey (fifth, 2011), Found (ninth, 2015 - she actually won the Arc the following year) and Highland Reel (second, 2016).
Top contenders for 2020
Enable (John Gosden/Frankie Dettori) – again bids to become first horse in history to win three Arcs after last year’s agonising defeat; scored on soft in 2017 but beaten on even worse ground in 2019; whole season revolves around this and world’s number one horse will start strong favourite from nice draw in gate five.
Stradivarius (John Gosden/Olivier Peslier) – virtually untouchable in staying arena for three years and now finally gets his chance to run in Arc; beaten twice at 1m4f this term but valid excuses both times and showed aptitude for softer ground in Ascot Gold Cup; double-figure draw.
Sottsass (Jean-Claude Rouget/Cristian Demuro) — third last year but 2019 Prix du Jockey Club winner hasn’t been in same form this time around; however, seemingly coming to hand with eyecatching run in defeat in Irish Champion Stakes and has been trained all season with this race in mind.
Raabihah (Jean-Claude Rouget/Maxime Guyon) — highly regarded type stayed on nicely without troubling winner Tarnawa in Prix Vermeille; unknown quantity in likely conditions but she’s a leading French 3-year-old filly getting all the allowances.
Persian King (Andre Fabre/Pierre-Charles Boudot) — top-class miler faces stamina questions as he steps up in trip for what is likely to be a severe test on the ground, though he has form with cut over shorter distances; legendary trainer has won this eight times and commands respect on that score.
Mogul (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore) – looks stable’s first string in the absence of Love, the son of Galileo having finally begun to justify his 3.4m-guinea price tag with emphatic course-and-distance victory in Grand Prix de Paris (In Swoop and Serpentine among those beaten) on the Arc trials card; joined by G1-winning stablemates Serpentine, Japan and Sovereign.
In Swoop (Francis Graffard/Ronan Thomas) – German Derby winner stayed on when second to Mogul in Grand Prix de Paris; expected to come on again and stoutly bred colt carrying colours of Gestut Schlenderhan should have few worries about ground.
What they say
- John Gosden (Enable’s trainer): “She’s at her optimum racing weight and she’s happy. We had a bit of trouble getting her really fit this year, as the mare has grown older and heavier. However, as things stand, she’s in top form. So we are confident; she has never run a bad race. She invariably rises to the task.
- “She has already run well on very soft ground, but like many horses, she prefers good ground. She can cope with testing tracks, but that renders her task more difficult as it's more demanding in terms of stamina.”
- John Gosden (Stradivarius’s trainer): “Stradivarius has always been a fast-ground horse but he surprised us on the day of the Gold Cup when he managed to win, despite the conditions, over two and a half miles. He ran in a typical French trial in which the ground was quick – times were fast on the day but they went for a nice stroll down the back and round the bend and sprinted down the straight and I thought for a horse who’s a Gold Cup winner, he showed great acceleration in the straight.”
- Jean-Claude Rouget (Sottsass’s trainer): “His race in Ireland did him the power of good and he should give a good account of himself. He has experience of the race and he ran very well in it last year, so he has every right to be fighting out the finish this year. I share the opinion that so far this year he has not shown that he could win an Arc, but I didn’t want to go overboard with him and wanted to ensure he is a fresh horse come the Arc. I believe he will run well and finish in the first three.”
- Jean-Claude Rouget (Raabihah’s trainer): “Raabihah is in peak condition. Our only question mark is the ground – she is yet to encounter very soft conditions and we don’t know if she will be inconvenienced by a heavy track.”
- Aidan O’Brien (Serpentine’s trainer): “We don't know about the ground for him but we've always hoped he’d be a horse that could handle dig in it. We were very happy with his run in the Grand Prix de Paris and we had always thought that if he ran well there we’d supplement him for the Arc.” (Racing Post)
- Andrea Marcialis (Way To Paris’s trainer): “Way To Paris has a different work routine this year and I think he is benefiting from it. In my opinion he is not the same horse as when he ran two years ago. He is way better. Many times he has been an outsider but I still think he can have a really good chance. The race is not going to be easy but the horse is really well at the minute. He prefers fast ground but we’ve had lots of rain so we will see what he can do on this ground.”
- Yoshi Hashida (son of Deirdre’s trainer, Mitsuru): “I know she is a Japanese-bred horse but after her experiences overseas I think she’s now better equipped and able to handle soft ground. It’s also true that if you don’t take on difficult challenges you won’t succeed. She’s in beautiful form and we think she’s very close to being at her absolute best.”