Today's best bets, by Tony Paley
A terrific Sunday's racing and some cracking bets on both sides of the Channel today but in the race that matters, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, it is impossible to oppose Sea The Stars but also difficult to get excited about the skinny odds on offer. John Oxx's brilliant colt should certainly win with everything - ground, draw, jockey and form in his favour - but this is not likely to be a cakewalk and the last six odds-on shots in the Arc have been beaten.
The best wagers on the Longchamp card are in the Prix du Cadran, where Yeats just begs to be opposed and is recommended as a lay bet today. This outstanding stayer has been aimed at this race twice before and been found wanting and he runs pounds below his best here. Incanto Dream (4.45) is the recommendation. He ran a very encouraging race on his reappearance and is better value at 6-1 that Kasbah Bliss who he finished in front of in this race last year.
German horses are very often underestimated in the big international races and Night Magic (2.30) can underline that in the Prix de l'Opera this afternoon. She has been transformed since being ridden from the front and the form of her runaway victory in the German Oaks in a good time was franked in no uncertain terms after the second, Soberania, ran such a big race in the Prix Vermeille subsequently.
A winner is a winner wherever the venue and while Longchamp may offer the quality there is a strong bet at Kelso where Elite Land (5.10) can win on her return to hurdling. He was running well over timber last season and has shown improved form on the level of late to suggest he can win off his present mark.
Arc day live from Longchamp
12.40pm Greg Wood reports: Good afternoon from Longchamp, where Sea The Stars is now barely three hours away from the race that could – indeed, should – elevate him to the status of an all-time great. Everything has been perfect in his build-up to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, including the French climate, which has left the ground riding good when often it would be soft at this time of year. Now, it is just up to horse and rider, and personally I can't see any credible reason why Sea The Stars and Mick Kinane will not deliver.
John Oxx may have issued warnings about the effects of a long season, and it is true that Sea The Stars had his first run in early May. Mick Kinane pointed out only this week, though, that Sea The Stars has progressed physically throughout the season, indeed he is still doing so, and a horse that is still growing and thriving should be capable of handling six races, even at Group One level, in as many months.
He is an uncomplicated ride, too, a fast starter who settles well, and from stall six I can't see him having to pass more than half a dozen when they turn into the straight. The price reflects his obvious chance, but if ever there was an odds-on chance that represented a bit of value, it's this one.
Elsewhere on the card, Joanna (1.20) might find some more improvement for a further step up in trip, and will be a fair price too as she is trained in Italy.
Next up is the Prix de l'Abbaye, in which Kieren Fallon is a late booking for Equiano, but Fleeting Spirit (12.45) will surely be too good, while later in the afternoon, Incanto Dream (4.45), narrowly beaten in this race 12 months ago, can spoil the moment for Yeats when the great stayer races into well-deserved retirement.
12.43pm Greg Wood reports: In the paddock for the Prix de l'Abbaye Monsieur Chevalier does not look out of place despite being a two-year-old facing older horses, Fleeting Spirit loos well and Atlantic Wave is really on his toes.
Murtagh opens Arc day with win in Abbaye as Brits go 1-2-3
12.55pm Tony Paley reports: Johnny Murtagh got off to a flyer on Arc day with victory on board the Stan Moore-trained Total Gallery (13-1) who just held the unlucky-in-running favourite Fleeting Spirit (1.6-1) and the well-backed War Artist (4.7-1). Fleeting Spirit just seemed to get stopped in her progress up the rail at a crucial moment whereas the winner got first run. British-trained horses dominated this race as usual and had the first three home.
There has been plenty of watering and there is no doubt, that despite the official going be good, the horse that wins the Arc is going to have to stay every yard of the 12 furlonngs
1.15pm Greg Wood reports: This was a first Group One victory for Stan Moore, and he expects Total Gallery to be better still as a four-year-old.
"I've always said to his owner that the Abbaye would be the target for him and we'd hope to be in the first four as it's a tough race for three-year-olds. He's been improving all along, and he'll be even better next year. He gets six furlongs well too, and we always thought that anything we got this year was going to be a bonus.
"Johnny [Murtagh] said coming in that he'd be the best sprinter he's ridden coming from his father [Namid]. I'd say that will be him for a while, and we'll have to do a game plan for him next year, but the world is his oyster."
Murtagh added: "He won well and he's improving as a sprinter. I think he's improved a lot since the last time I rode him - he's more professional and a lot faster. He's naturally quick, and got in front too soon, but managed to change his legs. When the other horses came at him, thankfully they got him home."
Of Fleeting Spirit, dejected part-owner Paul Roy said: "It was a nightmare. I didn't ever think she would make the ground up - she had too much to do - but there we go. We will probably keep her in training and I would like to take the boys on in the Breeders' Cup, which will be on Polytrack."
James Eustace said of War Artist: "It was a great run but perhaps a five-furlong race like that, run on a car-park, is just a bit much. He probably wants six furlongs now."
Super 'Soumi' bags the Boussac
1.30pm Tony Paley reports: A brilliant ride from Christophe Soumillon gets the favourite Rosanara (10-11) home in the Prix Marcel Boussac with On Verra (61-1) second and Joanna (18-1) third. The jockey, who made a shock return to race-riding yesterday after being sidelined with a broken elbow, almost came off at the start when his filly stumbled but he recovered well and got his mount home with a strong run in the home straight. Wedding March, who finished fourth for the Andre Fabre-Frankie Dettori combination, got a terrible run through and is better than the finishing position.
1.55pm Greg Wood reports: Rosanara was predictably quoted for the English 1,000 Guineas after winning the Prix Marcel Boussac, but the French equivalent seems a much more plausible target given her connections.
Talking of which, this will have been a bittersweet success for Christophe Soumillon, who has lost his retainer to ride for the Aga Khan and, presumably, the ride on Rosanara too. Soumillon is still hugely popular with the Longchamp fans, and returned to unsaddle with a set of boxing gloves draped around his neck. These, he explained, had been handed to him by one of the punters as he came back through the tunnel, in a kind of "Courage, mon brave" gesture.
Soumillon has less of a following among British fans, but he certainly has a great sense of theatre on the big occasion, and it will be a great pity if his fall-out with the Aga means that he moves away from the spotlight.
Soumillon added: "She is a great filly, but different to Zarkava and you must not make comparisons." The Aga Khan said: "We were very happy to have Christophe back. We were waiting to see how he got on yesterday, but he seemed to be fine. The filly tripped up when she broke from the stalls, but she is not a difficult ride and we were really happy with her."
Trainer Alain Royer-Dupre said: "She showed really good acceleration and she must have a very big heart because she is very small physically. It is likely we will aim her for the Pouliches next season (French 1,000 Guineas)."
Francois Doumen felt his decision to step On Verra up from Group Three company was more than justified.
He said: "She's shown a lot of improvement from her last race to here, which tempted us to come for a Group One. That was slightly pretentious on our behalf, but she has proved us right. She has a fantastic mentality and is quiet and relaxed but when she runs she takes a keen hold early on, she then drops her head and gets ready for an amazing acceleration. She's very promising, although we will take it one step at a time."
Joanna was making her debut for new owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum after he snapped up the Italian-trained filly following a Group Three win at Deauville. The owner's racing manager, Angus Gold, said: "I've never seen her before so I don't know a lot about her, but I'm thrilled and she has a fantastic temperament. She was in a lovely position all through the race and settled beautifully. She was struck into as some point so did well to end up where she did. I'm not sure about middle-distances for next season and think a mile may be her forte."
Siyouni wins Grand Criterium for in-form De Royer-Dupre
2pm Tony Paley reports: Trainer Alain De Royer-Dupre completes a quick double with victory for Siyouni in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagadere Grand Criterium. The result is a massive boost for the form of Special Duty, the filly who beat him in the Prix Robert Papin. With Rosanara likely to stay at home the 7-1 still available for Special Duty in the 2010 1,000 Guineas looks outstanding value at present.
Gerald Mosse brought the winner with a smooth run to notch a comfortable win over the pace-setting Pounced in the end.
Godolphin's Buzzword stayed on for third, but the favourite Dick Turpin suffered a luckless run and finished well out of the frame for Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes after the jockey had somewhat surprisingly decided to hold his mount up towards the back.
De Royer-Dupre said: "He learned a good lesson in his last race and was very fresh and needed to be tucked in behind. Everything has gone perfectly. I imagine he will start off over a mile next season but I don't know if that will be in England or France."
The Aga Khan added: "He started off as a sprinter but as he matured, he started to cover more and more distance. If you watch the race again, you will see the jockey pull him back two or three times to get him to settle before coming with a challenge. It is up to the trainer but I suppose he will go for one of the Guineas and a mile will not be a problem."
Gosden said of Pounced: "That's a great performance. The winner is smart and it looks a very fast time. He has a couple of smart entries. I gave him time after his maiden win and he'll tell us what we'll do. He is entered in the Dewhurst and is Breeders' Cup eligible. We wouldn't be frightened of that."
Of Dick Turpin, Richard Hannon's son and assistant, Richard Jr, said: "He didn't get any luck and for a six-horse race it was very rough. But he's got air in his lungs and he'll be back. He is in the Dewhurst. I don't know if he'd run, but we'll see how it goes."
Aga Khan treble top in Group Ones on Arc day
2.45pm Tony Paley reports: Owner Aga Khan completes a Group One treble on Arc day with victory for Shalanaya in the Prix de l'Opera who comes from last to first in the straight, thereby avoiding the scrimmaging among the leaders. Alpine Rose in particualr gets a poor run. This looks a significant victory for jockey Maxim Guyon, who is the coming force among the jockeys in France. Board Meeting was second with Henry Cecil's Midday back in third. Shalanaya started at 19-1, and is quoted at 6-1 for the Filly & Mare Turf at the Breedrs' Cup by Hill's.
Winning trainer Mikel Delzangles said: "It's quite amazing. She has an amazing heart and turn of foot and she has done a good job. I can't say I was confident (she would get there) but I was confident of her quality. This is my second season (training for the Aga Khan) but I was apprentice there for 10 years. The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf would be a possibility but we will see."
Cecil said of Midday: "She's done nothing wrong. She's gone there to win her race but the other filly has drawn away. I thought she was going to go and win, but she had the other filly breathing down her neck. If she'd won, we could have said she was going to the Breeders' Cup. But she's been beaten, so we'll just have to see."
3.10pm Greg Wood reports: Sea The Stars is a superb sight in the build-up to the Arc with grand curves and has really filled out. Stacelita very full of herself and almost bolted coming out on to the track.
Sea The Stars joins greats with victory in Arc
3.50pm Tony Paley reports: Sea The Stars secured a place among the all-time greats with victory in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The 4-6 favourite completed his sixth straight Group One triumph despite pulling far too hard in the early stages, getting into a poor position and being stuck on the inside behind a wall of horses on the turn into the straight.
Mick Kinane weaved his way through runners as his mount quickened up in the final two furlongs to beat Kieren Fallon on the fast-finishing Youmzain (20-1), second for the third year running for the trainer Mick Channon. The Frankie Dettori-ridden Cavalryman (12-1) stayed on for third, but was no match for the brilliant winner. The winner's trainer, John Oxx, said: "It's just a great relief. He always travelled strongly and had the gears to get out. Mick [Kinane] would not panic as he knew his horse had gears. We were not too alarmed at any stage."
Kinane reported: "We ended up in a position we didn't want to. They were going a nice pace though, but I knew we would need a bit of luck in the straight. He's a phenomenal horse."
Stewards give Yeats helping hand for final race
4.40pm Tony Paley reports: Intriguingly the French stewards have given Aidan O'Brien permission to send his horse straight to the start and miss the parade ahead of his final race, the Prix du Cadran.
5.10pm Tony Paley reports: Yeats could finish only third on his final racecourse appearance as Alandi gave owner the Aga Khan a fourth Group One victory on Arc day. Trainer John Oxx and jockey Mick Kinane, who earlier teamed up to win the Arc with Sea The Stars, spoiled the Ballydoyle's staying star final outing, although he had to work for victory.
Kasbah Bliss emerged as his major threat inside the final furlong, but Alandi had enough in reserve to hold his challenge.
Aidan O'Brien said: "It's a big relief as there was always a danger he might get hurt or something. We will never find another like him - he's a once-in-a-lifetime horse."
Joint-owner John Magnier was quick to pay tribute to Yeats, who has earned a reputation as one of the best stayers in racing history. He added: "To think he was trained as a two-year-old and then for the Derby at one point, it's incredible. He's one of the greatest stayers I can remember - the last one was probably Sagaro. We have had great fun with him and this is the beginning of something new. I suppose we will just have to find something to replace him."
