We'll always have Paris ...
So au revoir to Paris for another year. Maybe next year the British punters who usually flood the place and create the great atmosphere at Longchamp for the Arc de Triomphe will be allowed to go. Who knows? Enable won’t be there, we know that. In fact it’s highly likely she won’t race again but there was no immediate announcement of her retirement tonight. Because of the hot favourite’s demise this year’s European racing highlight won’t live long in the memory, not helped by the desperate ground and the rough-house incidents in the home straight. The highlight this weekend was definitely Princess Zoe’s in the Prix du Cadran on Saturday, a true rag-to-riches story. But the great game goes on and there’s always more wonderful races to look forward to and the Breeders’ Cup Turf battle between Love (6-4 favourite), Ghaiyyath and Sottsass (both 4-1), Enable (8-1 if she turns up) and Magical 8-1) and Mogul (9-1), both denied a run today after the horse feed fiasco, will be something to look forward next to in the United States next month. See you in Paris next year!
Great scenes at Longchamp as One Master swoops to win the Foret
“I quite fancy the @BreedersCup” – William Haggas on One Master, an unbelievable mare who has a trip to @keenelandracing on her slate! pic.twitter.com/uuF5GejAxF
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 4, 2020
Now John Gosden hoping against hope that Enable carries on ... that last sentence!
John Gosden on Enable & a decision on her retirement:
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) October 4, 2020
🗣 “Definitely not for a week. Prince Khalid always likes to know how his horses are. It wasn’t a taxing race."
🏇: @Louchepunter pic.twitter.com/4E3PrhOKLE
Prix de la Foret (4.55pm) betting
- One Master – 9/4
- Safe Voyage – 5/2
- Earthlight – 11/4
- Tropbeau– 12/1
- Spinning Memories – 33/1
- Pretreville – 33/1
- Irska– 33/1
- Rubaiyat – 40/1
- Toro Strike– 50/1
- Full betting here at Oddschecker
Prix de la Foret (4.55pm) preview
The tightest Group One race on the card with three horses vying for favouritism at around 5-2, including William Haggas’s mare One Master, who is going for a hat-trick of wins in Europe’s only Group One over seven furlongs.
She looked as good as ever when losing out on the nod to Wichita in the Group Two Park Stakes at Doncaster’s Leger meeting last month, and has the beating of Safe Voyage, one of her main market rivals, on her winning form here last year as John Quinn’s gelding was around five lengths adrift.
Safe Voyage, though, has seemingly found a new lease of life at the age of seven this season, and took his form to a new level with his second consecutive Group Two victory in the Boomerang Mile at Leopardstown last month.
And the pair of them must also reckon with Andre Fabre’s Earthlight, one of last season’s top juveniles when his wins included two Group Ones, the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes.
Earthlight missed the first weeks of the season, including the 2,000 Guineas, after spraining a fetlock in May, and finished only fourth on his first try in a Group One this season at Deauville in August. He looked back to something like his best when winning a seven-furlong Group Three last time, however, and looks like the pick of the prices given that he is the narrow outsider of the three principals.
No immediate announcement to retire Enable ... a little surprisingly perhaps.
Lord Grimthorpe on what next for Enable:
— Racenews (@RacenewsService) October 4, 2020
“What we will do, of course, is to get her back home to Clarehaven. She will be checked out to make sure she is in great shape and then we will discuss what might happen to her. Prince Khalid will decide what he want to do." @Louchepunter pic.twitter.com/lF4r35c9aN
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Prix de l'Abbaye (4.25pm) betting
- Glass Slippers – 5/2
- Make A Challange – 4/1
- Keep Busy – 11/2
- Wooded – 10/1
- Liberty Beach – 10/1
- Air De Valse – 12/1
- Archers Dream– 16/1
- Lady In France – 18/1
- 22/1 bar
- Full betting
Prix de l'Abbaye (4.25pm) preview
It was the heavy ground rather than something he’d eaten that saw Battaash, the fastest horse around, scratched from his latest attempt to add an Abbaye run at Longchamp to his win in the race when it relocated to Chantilly in 2017.
Since he was only 14th of 16 behind Glass Slippers here 12 months ago, it was probably a wise move and Kevin Ryan’s filly is an obvious favourite to follow up, not least as she confirmed her top-class status with a gritty success in the Group One Flying Five at The Curragh last month.
The French challenge for this Group One sprint is typically thin and Yorkshire stables, in fact, are responsible for three of the top five picks in the betting, as John Quinn sends both Liberty Beach and Keep Busy, with Frankie Dettori and Ryan Moore respectively booked for the rides.
Dettori’s mount in particular is interesting as Liberty Beach is extremely quick and game, and got no sort of a run when seventh, beaten less than three lengths, behind Glass Slippers at the Curragh. She travelled as well as the winner until meeting trouble and has a big each-way shout at around 10-1 to turn around the form.
Prix de l'Opera (3.50pm) betting
- Alpine Star – 6/4
- Tawkeel – 15/4
- Tarnawa – 9/2
- Audarya – 14/1
- Ambition – 14/1
- Tickle Me Green – 14/1
- Durance – 25/1
- All Rumours – 25/1
- Grand Glory – 40/1
- Spirit of Nelson – 66/1
- Zariyannka – 80/1
- Inter Royal Lady – 100/1
- Full betting here
Prix de l'Opera (3.50pm) preview
Another race that has lost a significant contender as a result of the ongoing issues with Gain horse feed, as Fancy Blue – who was Donnacha O’Brien’s first runner in France when she took the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) in July has been forced out.
In her absence, the French Classic form is represented by Jessica Harrington’s Alpine Star, who was just a short-nose behind Fancy Blue in second place, in what was the third-fastest renewal of the race’s history. She has since gone on to finish second to the excellent Palace Pier when dropping back to a mile in the Moulin, having earlier won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot over the same trip.
Whether she will prove as effective back at today’s mile-and-a-quarter, however, remains to be seen, in particular on the much heavier ground. Alpine Star is also up against some very strong opponents, including Tawkeel, who took the Prix St Alary for Jean-Claude Rouger in June, and Dermot Weld’s recent Prix Vermeille winner, Tarnawa.
At the prices, though, it may be worth chancing James Fanshawe’s Audarya, who sprang a big surprise in the Group One Prix Jean Romanet last time – her previous race was a win off 99 in a Newcastle handicap, after all – but did not look out of place as she did so.
Nazeef, yesterday’s Sun Chariot winner, was well behind Audarya there having seemingly failed to get home, and Fanshawe knows what it takes to land this race having sent out Speedy Boarding to win in 2016. At 14-1, she is well worth an each-way interest, and she has form on soft ground too.
Result stands!
Stewards’ enquiry! Stewards’ enquiry! The stewards will be looking into at least two incidents involving the first, third, fourth and sixth home. After a long delay the positions remained unchanged after their deliberations.
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Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05pm)
And they’re off ... Enable out well and Persian King has an early lead ... In Swoop in midfield with Royal Julius at the back and it’s a slow-run race so far ... Enable is in fourth after they race down the false straight ... Stradivarius is coming ... another rough race with Sottsass getting up to win.
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Enable ready to strut here stuff
Strutting her stuff – Enable limbers up for an historic third Arc in the parade ring! #QPAT pic.twitter.com/X6UQMQK0wc
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 4, 2020
Jessica Marcialis landed a momentous success as Tiger Tanaka won a rough renewal of the Prix Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp. In a real rags to riches story, the filly won three claimers earlier in the season and booked her place in the field when winning a Group Three at Deauville last time out.
In behind Tiger Tanaka there was plenty of trouble in running, with Richard Fahey’s favourite Fev Rover done no favours at all before staying on to finish fourth.
Marcialis, who has been making a name for herself in France, was unable to make use of the usual female allowance in a Group One. But that mattered little on Charley Rossi’s Clodovil filly, who powered away to for a memorable success that caped a memorable day for the Rossi family, as his uncle, Frederic, won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere with Sealiway earlier on the card.
Marcialis, who is a mother, became the first female to ride a Group One winner in France. PA Media
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Arabian World Cup (2.25pm) result
More footage of history maker Jessica Marcialis at Longchamp
Great scenes and cries of “Bravo!” here @paris_longchamp as Jessica Marcialis returns to the winner’s circle after becoming the first female jockey to win a Group 1 race in France. pic.twitter.com/T5tIRDISfU
— Lee Mottershead (@leemottershead) October 4, 2020
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05pm) betting
- Enable – 5/4
- Stradivarius – 9/2
- Sottass – 13/2
- In Swoop – 9/1
- Raabihah – 12/1
- Persian King – 14/1
- Way to Paris – 28/1
- Gold Tip – 33/1
- Deirdrie – 80/1
- Royal Julius – 200/1
- Full betting here
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05pm) preview
Enable’s name at or near the top of the betting has been one of the few constants in this year’s Arc, and even with the memory of her narrow defeat 12 months ago still painfully fresh for many punters, plenty will be tempted to add some hard cash to their emotional investment at around 5-4.
Remove the sentimental blinkers and try to forget the sport’s urgent need for a good news story at the end of a difficult season. How does her price look now?
Try as you might, it is impossible to justify such short odds on the basis of Enable’s form over the past 12 months. She has had three races this season: a commendable defeat behind Ghaiyyath on her return to action in the Eclipse, an easy win in a three-runner King George and an exercise canter against five outclassed rivals at odds of 1-14 at Kempton Park last month.
The last time Enable ran to the kind of form she is likely to need to win a third Arc was when she won her second, in 2018. Wanting something to happen and putting money on it to happen are – or should be – very different things, and her odds are simply too short.
Enable also faces several new opponents, three-year-olds for the most part, that could find enough improvement to give her a race, as well as three rivals – Persian King, Sottsass and Stradivarius – with an official rating that is already within striking distance of her own.
Stamina is the big doubt about Persian King, particularly on heavy ground, for all that André Fabre’s Arc runners can never be discounted lightly. Stradivarius presents a different concern, as the Ascot Gold Cup winner could find the wet ground bringing his abundant stamina into play if – and it is a significant if – he travels on it as sweetly as he does on a sound surface.
But he is a shorter price than Sottsass, even though Jean-Claude Rouget’s colt arguably has fewer questions to answer. Last year’s French Derby winner was less than two lengths behind Enable 12 months ago, and closing fast. He returns to 12 furlongs on Sunday for the first time since then and has form on heavy ground. Rouget, who has yet to win an Arc, has almost certainly been training him with Sunday in mind since last year’s race and at 8-1 he looks an outstanding each-way bet to leave Enable and her legion of fans frustrated once again.
Stewards’ inquiry there after the Prix Marcel Boussac but that shouldn’t involve the winner and that’s an important result as it’s the first victory in a Group One race for a female jockey.
History made at ParisLongchamp 👏
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) October 4, 2020
Jessica Marcialis becomes the first female jockey to win a Group One in France 🙌#ITVRacing pic.twitter.com/lXtlbSj5My
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Prix Marcel Boussac (1.50pm)
And they’re off ... Fev Rover a bit slowly away and La Jonction leads in the early stages ... Al Siq is prominent ... La Gioisa is close ... This is a rough race ... Tiger Tanaka takes the lead and holds on grimly for a success in a very rough and tumble race ... big celebration for Jessica Marcialis.
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Prix Marcel Boussac (1.50pm) betting
- Fev Rover – 11/4
- Thunder Beauty – 6/1
- Kings Harlequin – 6/1
- Tiger Tanaka – 13/2
- Harajuku – 8/1
- La Gioiosa – 12/1
- Tasmania – 12/1
- La Jonction – 16/1
- 18/1 bar
- Full betting here
@RichardFahey trained Fev Rover in the Longchamp parade ring before the Marcel Boussac #QPAT pic.twitter.com/8UAsCTPdvQ
— marcus townend (@captheath) October 4, 2020
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Prix Marcel Boussac (1.50pm) preview
The Prix Marcel Boussac has also been shorn of a likely favourite as a result of the contamination of Gain foodstuffs with a beef-fattening agent, as Joseph O’Brien’s Pretty Gorgeous, a close second in the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes last time out, was several pounds clear of the field on ratings and would have been strongly fancied for the win.
His father’s Mother Earth, 11th of 13 in the same race, is also out, but the Moyglare form still has a leading representative in Ken Condon’s Thunder Beauty, who stayed on well into fifth behind Pretty Gorgeous.
Fev Rover, from Richard Fahey’s stable in Yorkshire, tops the ratings in the absence of Pretty Gorgeous and has done little wrong in four starts so far, despite winning only two, including a Group Two at Deauville last time.
King’s Harlequin, another prominent name in the betting, was behind Fev Rover there and franked the form with a win next time up. Tiger Tanaka is another leading French-trained contender after a Group Three win in August, but the extra furlong could make all the difference to Thunder Beauty and she looks a big price at around 5-1 to rub further salt into the O’Brien family’s wounds.
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1.15pm)
And they’re off ... Cairn Gorm heads into the lead ... Sealiway is second ... with Nando Parrado in third ... Nando Parrado asked for effort but Sealiway kicks clear and draws away for an easy win.
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Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1.15pm) betting
- Nando Perrado – 10/11
- Sealiway – 9/2
- Laws of Indices – 11/2
- Libertine – 10/1
- Cairn Gorm - 12/1
- Full betting at Oddschecker
Cairn Gorm & Nando Parrado head out for the PrixJean Luc Lagadere - the opener at Longchamp on Arc day #QPAT pic.twitter.com/ySTzl9hAMX
— marcus townend (@captheath) October 4, 2020
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Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (1.15pm) preview
Just five runners go to post for the first of today’s Group One contests now that St Mark’s Basilica, who could well have set off as favourite to give Aidan O’Brien a ninth win in the race, has been ruled out.
Frederic Rossi’s Sealiway is the only French-trained challenger and also the second-favourite, but he was beaten in a Group Three last time out and looks to have something to find with both Law Of Indices and Nando Parrado, the shock 150-1 winner of the Coventry Stakes back in June.
Nando Parrado showed that his Ascot win was no fluke when he finished a two-length second to Campanelle in the Prix Morny. Clive Cox, his trainer, needs one more Group One winner this season to set a new personal record of three in one year, and the unfortunate departure of O’Brien’s colt leaves the door wide open.
Punters are looking for alternatives to the big-race favourite who is now as short as 6-5. I’ve had this just in from from mybettingsites.co.uk: ‘Enable is clear at the top of the market but though the most popular horse she doesn’t quite have the monopoly on the market. In the last 24 hours she has taken 29% of bets, which is a fair amount, but it also shows that a lot of punters are looking for someone to take her on.
‘Frankie Dettori will face tough competition from another famous mount of his, Stradivarius, who is receiving plenty of interest from punters. The star stayer has been backed from 8-1 into 9-2, with the rain falling in his favour all week. He’s now the second most popular horse, as well as being second-favourite in the market. He has taken 17% of bets in the market. Last year’s third, Sottsass, is third-favourite in the market at 8-1 with 8% of bets, followed by In Swoop with 5% of all bets in the last 24 hours.’
I’ve been reading the new book by Malcolm Pannett, ‘Celebrating a Century of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe: The History of Europe’s Greatest Horse Race’. It’s well worth tracking down and packed with more information that you ever need about the great event. So as a reminder of great Arcs why not start with arguably the best of them all, Sea Bird in 1965.
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Will this look like one of the best value bets of recent years in three hours’ time?
Enable now 6/5 here @bet365 for the Arc. Odd really as 5 days ago she was 6/4 with Love, Japan, Mogul , Serpentine and Sovereign all likely rivals. The power of 'heavy ground' a big factor in the price, @AtTheRaces @itvracing @RacingTV @SkySportsRacing pic.twitter.com/6dKoOVGwhz
— Patrick Cooney (@patcooney_365) October 4, 2020
Gain Equine Nutrition, the company whose contaminated feed has led to the withdrawal of the O’Brien family’s runners at Longchamp today, has put out another statement this morning saying that it is “hugely disappointed” to learn of the news.
The statement adds that it is “equally disappointed for all of our equine feed customers across Ireland, the UK, France and elsewhere”, and while it also suggests that the company has yet to establish the source of the problem, the substance involved is banned in EU countries but widely used in countries including the US to fatten beef cattle before slaughter.
“The contaminant, zilpaterol, is a synthetic beta-agonist approved for use as a performance-enhancer in some beef production systems outside the EU,” the statement says. “It is important to stress that this synthetic substance has never formed part of any formulation in any of our animal nutrition ranges. Intensive testing of our equine feed ranges, batches and individual ingredients has been underway around the clock since this issue first emerged in France [earlier this week]”.
O’Brien has said this morning that he hopes to have runners again towards the end of the week, when he would be expecting to send a strong team to the Future Champions meeting at Newmarket.
Announcement on tomorrow’s runners pic.twitter.com/vG1BOPeHvr
— Ballydoyle Racing (@Ballydoyle) October 3, 2020
The sun has just come out at Longchamp – just – and while there could be some light rain here in an hour or so, anything more substantial seems unlikely at this stage according to the forecast.
The sense of being trapped in a very small bubble, however, is profound, and perhaps more so here than anywhere else in this strangest of racing years.
The press room here has windows at either end, one of which looks out onto what would normally be one of the main areas for eating and drinking, and the other onto the road running past Longchamp’s main entrance. The view which should be buzzing with racegoers is deserted, while at the other end, there is traffic and the normal Sunday stream of cyclists and joggers enjoying a morning in the Bois de Boulogne.
If Enable wins this afternoon, we should find out if it is possible to properly share in a great moment of sporting triumph when you cannot see or hear the people you are sharing it with. Social media will have a big role to play, but there is no escaping the likelihood that it will not be remembered, cherished and recalled as it would have been with tens of thousands packing the stands.
It is, of course, as disappointing for French racing as it is for all those who would have loved to be here for what is almost certain to be Enable’s final start. It was also due to be a celebration of the Arc’s 100th birthday, as the inaugural running was in 1920. That has been postponed to next year, which will be the 100th running as it was not staged in 1939 or 1940. By then, hopefully, the situation will be improved.
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Preamble
A chilly wind is whipping across Paris at the start of what could be one of the most memorable racing afternoons for many years, but there is little sign – as yet – of any further rain to add to the regular downpours that turned the Longchamp going to heavy in the run-up to the race.
That, of course, will be of little consolation to Aidan O’Brien and the team at his Ballydoyle yard, after he – and his sons Joseph and Donnacha – felt obliged to withdraw all their runners at the track today late on Saturday night when tests at a local lab proved positive for a contaminant in their feed. Serpentine, the Derby winner, was only added to the race four days ago at a cost of €72,000 but the loss of his chance to complete a rare double will be felt more keenly by connections than the wasted entry fees.
All four of O’Brien’s entries for the Arc were Group One winners already, including Mogul, who got off the mark at the highest level in the Grand Prix de Paris three weeks ago. He was also due to saddle runners in four more Group Ones on the card, while Joseph had Pretty Gorgeous, a likely favourite, entered in the Prix Marcel Boussac and Donnacha’s Prix de Diane (French Oaks) winner, Fancy Blue, was due to run in the Prix de l’Opera.
It’s worth pointing out that since the withdrawal time for zilpaterol, the banned substance which has contaminated feed made by the company Gain, is about 72 hours, it’s entirely possible that it would have cleared the systems of all the O’Brien runners by this afternoon. The consequences had any of them won, however, would have been unthinkable, including a wait of several days or weeks to either confirm or disqualify the horses concerned, and the O’Brien family have decided that the sport’s integrity and image must come first.
In terms of Enable’s prospects of winning an unprecedented third Arc, however, the sudden loss of four opponents overnight has had little impact on her chance, according to the betting at least. John Gosden’s mare is still odds-against, at a current top price of 5-4, but the odds against the runners that punters may be looking to as each-way alternatives to the favourite have shortened across the board.
Stradivarius is 9-2 (from 13-2), Sottsass is now 13-2 (from 8-1 yesterday) and In Swoop, the German Derby winner, is generally 8-1 (from 11-1). The chance that racing history will be made in the 99th Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is, for practical purposes, 50-50, and there are five more Group Ones to look forward to as well on Europe’s most valuable card. You can follow all the action here as the day unfolds, with Enable’s tilt at immortality due off at 15.05 BST.
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