Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
- Venue: Longchamp Racecourse, Paris
- Date: Sunday, 6 October
- Time: 15:15 BST
Coverage: Commentary on BBC Radio 5 live;
Channel 4 & At The Races TV
Favourite
Orfevre heads a high-class field of 17 runners for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
at Longchamp racecourse in Paris on Sunday.
Orfevre will be bidding to give Japan a first win in Europe's richest race.
Last year's
narrow runner-up, trained by Yasutoshi Ikee, will be ridden by Belgian
Christophe Soumillon.
Novellist, previously the second favourite, will not run in the
mile-and-a-half showdown because of a high temperature.
Leading British challenger Al Kazeem must overcome the widest draw of all to
triumph for Roger Charlton.
Top Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien saddles Leading Light and Ruler Of The World.
Orfevre was given a kind draw towards the middle on Friday and will start
from stall eight, while second favourite Treve, an unbeaten three-year-old
filly, is in 15.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe odds
- 9-4 Orfevre
- 9-2 Treve
- 13-2 Kizuna
- 9-1 Ruler Of The World
- 10-1 Leading Light
- 10-1 Intello
Odds correct as of Saturday 11:00 BST
But Treve trainer Criquette Head-Maarek, who signed up
Thierry Jarnet to replace injured Frankie Dettori, believes she will not be
unduly inconvenienced by starting further away from the running rail.
"The draw is no problem," said the Chantilly trainer.
"At this distance all the talk about the draw is crazy. I could understand it
if the race was over a mile at Longchamp but over 2,400 metres? Give me a
break."
The last nine winners of the big race have been drawn eight or lower,
although Orfevre ran from 18 when beaten a neck by Solemia in 2012.
Going at the Paris track is expected to be soft on Sunday.
O'Brien runs two Classic winners in Derby hero Ruler Of The World and St
Leger victor Leading Light.
As both are three-year-olds who carry 8st 11lb, at least 3lb less than their
older rivals on the weight-for-age scale, it leaves stable jockey Joseph O'Brien
without a ride as his minimum weight is around the 9st mark.
The trainer has called on 46-year-old French rider Gerald Mosse for
Leading Light,
while Ryan Moore maintains his partnership with
Ruler Of The
World.
Recent Arc winners & draw
- 2012 Solemia (6)
- 2011 Danedream (2)
- 2010 Workforce (8)
- 2009 Sea The Stars (6)
- 2008 Zarkava (1)
- 2007 Dylan Thomas (6)
- 2006 Rail Link (4)
Ruler Of The World is one of three Derby winners in the
field, along with Intello (French) and Kizuna (Japan).
Intello is one of five runners for French trainer
Andre Fabre, who
has won his country's biggest race seven times.
Flintshire, Ocovango, Godolphin's Penglai Pavilion and Pirika complete his
2013 runners.
"I think the ground will be good to soft come Sunday which Flintshire should
be able to handle," said Fabre.
"I've been very happy with him and as for the draw, I always think that is
only a problem if there is no pace."
Other contenders include Joshua Tree, trained in Newmarket by Ed Dunlop, and
supplementary entry Meandre.
But Andreas Wohler's four-year-old Novellist, who won the King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth Stakes, will not be among the entrants.
Wohler discovered all was not well with his stable star when preparing him
for his trip to Paris on Saturday morning and had no option but to pull him out
of Europe's premier middle-distance event.
"He had a temperature this morning and it has developed even more, so there
is no way we can let him travel to Paris," Wohler said.
"It's unbelievable and very disappointing, but he has given us some great
moments this year."
Full Arc draw: 1 Very Nice Name
2
Meandre
3 Pirika
4 Going Somewhere
5 Leading Light
6 Ruler Of The World
7
Flintshire
8 Orfevre
9 Intello
10 Penglai Pavilion
11 Kizuna
12
Novellist*
13 Ocovango
14 Joshua Tree
15 Treve
16 Sahawar
17 Haya
Landa
18 Al Kazeem
* ruled out.
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