Sunday’s Racing Tips
- Diamond Necklace (Longchamp, 12.40) – 2pts win @ 6/4 bet365
- Asfoora (Longchamp, 13.50) – 1pt win @ 9/2 Unibet
- Daryz (Longchamp, 15.05) – 0.5pts each-way @ 12/1 William Hill
- Barnavara (Longchamp, 15.50) – 0.5pts each-way @ 10/1 Ladbrokes
- Zarigana (Longchamp, 16.25) – 1pt win @ 11/2 Ladbrokes
What a fantastic day of action we have in store at Longchamp on Sunday, where six races carry Group 1 status and the richest prize in Europe, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe takes centre stage.
Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Tips (Longchamp, 15.05)
Worth a cool £2,361,157 to the winner, the 1m4f contest for three-year-olds and upwards has drawn a field of 17. It’s a race that’s been won by some of the greatest equine talent of all time. Shocks are relatively rare but Torquator Tasso’s success at 72/1 in 2021 is a reminder that they’re not impossible.
Aidan O’Brien has trained the winner on two previous occasions and saddles both Los Angeles and the ante-post favourite on betting sites, Minnie Hauk, this time. The latter has been beaten only once, on debut this time last year.
Since then she’s mopped up the Oaks and both the Irish and Yorkshire equivalents and now attempts to make it four Group 1 wins in succession. So far, she’s only taken on her own sex but she’s still improving, as her latest York success will testify.
She’s unraced on heavy ground but otherwise has ticked all the going-related boxes and there’s no doubt she has plenty going for her. Favourites have won four of the last 10 runnings, so that too is a reasonable boost.
Aventure looks a big player, having won the Prix Vermeille over C&D (good to soft) last time with a career-best effort and, along with the favourite, is the only other runner priced in single figures on horse racing betting sites at the time of writing.
To me, that suggests there is value to be had elsewhere in the line-up and that could be in the form of DARYZ. The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained three-year-old had been progressive on route to a bad day at the office at York, when he ran no sort of race and was last of six behind Ombudsman.
That was his only start on fast ground, which may have been the problem. He’s since finished a close second to one of Sunday’s opponents Croix Du Nord over 1m2f at Longchamp, which was a career-best.
We have reasons to side with him at a price here. He’s got a good draw in stall two; the ground, on the soft side of good, will definitely be to his liking; and there is scope for a fair bit of improvement now that he steps up to this trip for the first time (he’s by Arc winner Sea The Stars). At 12/1, he has the potential to make the frame and possibly even win the big one.
Arc de Triomphe betting tip: Daryz (Longchamp, 15.05) – 0.5pts each-way @ 12/1 William Hill
Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac - Criterium des Pouliches (Longchamp, 12.40)
A cracking start to the card sees the two-year-old fillies in action over a mile. The darling of the French crowd here is likely to be Green Spirit, who is unbeaten in four starts and proven over C&D. She has won in both Group 3 and Group 2 company so far and would be a worthy favourite.
However, I prefer to side with the less exposed DIAMOND NECKLACE, who represents the Ballydoyle team of Aidan O’Brien. Given connections, a starting price of 9/1 suggests that they weren’t expecting a huge amount when she won a fillies’ contest on debut at the Curragh (7f, good) in August, despite her €1,700,000 price tag as a yearling.
She took to the job well that day and a month later, she’d added a Listed contest at Leopardstown (7f, good to yielding) when she won doing handstands and looked a very exciting prospect.
Bred to get better over further, this step up in trip looks very positive and pedigree suggests she won’t mind the forecast softer ground. She can take this on her first step into elite company.
Longchamp tip 1: Diamond Necklace (Longchamp, 12.40) – 2pts win @ 6/4 bet365
Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (Longchamp, 13.50)
Another big field assembles for this sprint and, having taken her on at York in August, I’m with ASFOORA to win another major prize.
Other than her ability to act at this track, Henry Dwyer’s mare has little to prove at this level. She’s won on soft ground and if she can get close to the level of her York performance again, she’ll take plenty of beating.
Longchamp tip 2: Asfoora (Longchamp, 13.50) – 1pt win @ 9/2 Unibet
Prix de l'Opera Longines (Longchamp, 15.50)
The Brits have got a very good record in this race and it may be that the ante-post favourite, See The Fire, can continue that and win this for Andrew Balding. She’s a worthy market leader with some very solid form at the top level.
However, BARNAVARA looks a very solid each-way play here. Jessie Harrington’s three-year-old has earned her crack at the elite, having proved herself in lower grade pattern races and then produced a personal best when winning the Group 2 Blandford Stakes (1m2f, good to yielding) at the Curragh last month.
She made all there, winning that contest readily and she has to be taken very seriously here at a double-figure price.
Longchamp tip 3: Barnavara (Longchamp, 15.50) – 0.5pts each-way @ 10/1 Ladbrokes
Qatar Prix de la Foret (Longchamp, 16.25)
Trainer William Haggas won this three times in the last decade with One Master completing a hat-trick. He saddles the highly respected favourite, More Thunder, who was last seen winning the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes (7f, good to firm) at Newbury in August. He has untapped potential over this trip and has won on good to soft, so his chance looks obvious.
That is factored into his price at the head of the market on betting apps and I think better value might lay in the odds on offer about ZARIGANA. Francis-Henri Graffard has his string in excellent form and his filly is already both a Group 1 winner and proven at this track on soft ground.
She’s been freshened up since finishing a close second in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June and she’s won on both her career debut and her seasonal debut in 2025, so that looks very positive. She’s also unexposed over 7f, having only tried the trip on her first start.
She certainly travels like she will have the pace for it and she should be doing her best work at the finish.
Longchamp tip 4: Zarigana (Longchamp, 16.25) – 1pt win @ 11/2 Ladbrokes
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