For nearly 20 years, Japanese fans’ dreams of a first win for their country in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe have been turning to dust in the Bois de Boulogne on the first Sunday in October. Deep Impact, El Condor Pasa and Orfevre, twice, have all hit the woodwork, but untold billions of yen have left Japan in hope only to find their way into the coffers of the pari mutuel urbain, never to return.
There was huge optimism a few months ago, when Equinox strolled home in the Sheema Classic in Dubai to establish himself as officially – and still – the world’s top-rated racehorse. But the possibility – indeed, likelihood – of testing ground always weighed heavily against a trip to Paris.
And so, as the Arc meeting opened on Saturday with temperatures nudging 20C, no rain forecast and the ground drying out all the time, Equinox was seven time zones away in Japan. All may not be lost for the passionate – and very patient – travelling fans, as a horse has emerged from Equinox’s shadow and crept almost unnoticed into the Arc with a very live chance.
Through Seven Seas is on offer at around 12-1 with British bookies, in part because she has not seen a racecourse since June, when she was a 55-1 outsider for the Takarazuka Kinen, one of Japan’s most prestigious Grade One events. The five-year-old mare arrived in France in mid-September, and did not have a trial before her tilt at a historic win on Sunday.
Back in June, Tomohito Ozeki’s mare outran her odds in impressive fashion, finishing a neck behind Equinox, no less, after turning for home in last place. It could be, of course, that it was a flash-in-the-pan performance that she will struggle to back up, but the winner’s time stands up well in comparison to recent runnings on similar ground and Through Seven Seas’ previous starts this year had also suggested that she was progressing from race to race.
Epsom
2.15 Mercian Warrior 2.50 Golden West 3.25 Forceful Speed 4.00 Bizarre Law 4.35 Strong Impact 5.10 Overnight Oats 5.45 Secret Strength (nap)
Ffos Las
2.20 Lhebayeb 2.55 Arizona Desert 3.30 Tamfana 4.05 Heartrate 4.40 Percy Jones 5.15 Sherood 5.50 Hey Mr (nb)
That is certainly the view of her trainer, who said this past week that Through Seven Seas was “quite tiny, quite skinny” as a younger horse but “has matured and started to put on weight”, adding: “Last summer she had a long stretch without running and that did her a lot of good. She has just grown stronger as the year has progressed.”
Through Seven Seas is one of at least seven or eight runners that will arrive at Longchamp with obvious claims in the season’s showpiece event. That is as it should be and Ace Impact, the unbeaten French Derby winner, could yet take the field apart if his turn of foot survives the step up to a mile and a half.
But his stamina is far from guaranteed, unlike that of Feed The Flame, another very credible French-trained contender, who was seven lengths behind Ace Impact at Chantilly but showed improved form to win the Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc course and distance.
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Add in Westover, who was further behind Equinox at Meydan than Through Seven Seas in Japan, and Hukum, who edged out Westover in a memorable King George in July, as well as the St Leger winner, Continuous, and the Prix Niel winner, Fantastic Moon, and this is an extremely open renewal of the Arc.
If Through Seven Seas (3.05) runs up to her latest form, though, she has as good a chance as any against the favourite and looks an excellent bet at her current odds to be the ninth female winner in the past 13 years.
Drying ground has frustrated Trueshan’s career several times over the years but there was still enough juice in the turf to see him line up for Saturday’s Group One Prix du Cadran and he made short work of five rivals under an excellent front-running ride by Hollie Doyle.
“He’s a special horse and all credit to everyone at [Alan King’s] Barbury Castle,” Doyle said. “I was a little worried about the ground, but he got into a beautiful rhythm. My mum and dad are here and I don’t think my dad has seen me ride a Group One winner, so it’s extra special.”
The Group One winning streak for British stables continued in the Prix Royallieu as Sea Silk Road took the spoils for William Haggas, while at Newmarket, Vandeek emerged as an emphatic winner of the Middle Park Stakes despite pulling hard for his head in the early part of the race.
Vandeek was cut to around 10-1 (from 16-1) for next season’s 2,000 Guineas while Porta Fortuna, a comfortable winner of the Cheveley Park Stakes for Donnacha O’Brien’s stable, is a 16-1 chance for the 1,000 Guineas.
“He’s beautiful with a wonderful temperament and all of the talent to match,” said Simon Crisford, who trains the winner with his son, Ed,.
“I don’t know whether we need to [step him up to the Classic trip of a mile], he’s a champion over this distance and I think we’re going to let the horse tell us as much as he can and we’ll take it from there.”
