Horse Racing
Season
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Form Comments

01/10/2021 12:38

G1 – 2400m – Turf

1 Torquator Tasso Very effective over this trip and too strong for his rivals late on in a 2400m G1 at Baden-Baden last month, a career best. But this German challenger faces a much stronger set of rivals this time.
2 Deep Bond This high-class Japanese stayer looks like a relentless galloper and those qualities came to the fore with a front-running success in a G2 on his French debut over this course and distance last month. Will surely race aggressively again.
3 Broome A four-times winner this year, including a front-running G1 on soft-ground at Saint-Cloud, proving for sure that he stays this trip. However he is yet to display the brilliance of some of these rivals.
4 Tarnawa This brilliant Irish-trained mare already has G1 winning course and distance form. She closes fast from the back and her second in a red-hot  G1 over an inadequate 2000m at Leopardstown last month did her Arc chance no damage at all.
5 Love Debut at Longchamp for this super filly who won four consecutive G1’s – two at this trip – before tasting defeat when favourite at Ascot in July.  Below her brilliant best on her last two starts. Wants good or faster ground.
6 Raabihah Highly regarded but disappointing as beaten into second as favourite on her first three 2021 starts. Much more effective at Deauville last start, quite impressively winning a G2. This is, however. a much tougher challenge.
7 Chrono Genesis Probably the best middle-distance horse in Japan, with four G1 victories and a super-strong finishing kick. Deliberately avoided a prep race in France and is a mare who thrives with a break between races, her last start being a G1 win in June.
8 Mojo Star Appeared to be a Derby ‘no hoper’ at Epsom in June, but totally outperformed expectations, finishing second. Second in another Classic – The St Leger – at Doncaster last month. But that stamina test has never been a good predictor of Arc winners.
9 Baby Rider His best two runs have probably been his last two which have both come over this course and distance, including when only caught in the last strides of a G2. But surely not good enough in this white-hot field.
10 Adayar Relatively unfancied for the Derby, but after grabbing the far rail in the straight was a convincing winner of the Epsom Classic. This powerful colt then put up a fabulous winning G1 performance at Ascot, looking like a champion that day. Big chance.
11 Hurricane Lane The winner of six of his seven starts, the last three being G1’s, including a fabulous 6L victory over this course and distance in July. Again showed a fantastic finishing kick when winning the St Leger at Doncaster over a longer trip in that UK Classic. Tactically versatile.
12 Sealiway A brilliant two-year-old who won a G1 by 8L here this weekend last year, thriving on the heavy ground over that 1400m. Not seen since second in the G1 French Derby at Chantilly in June. Up to a trip that he is not bred to thrive at so hard to fancy.
13 Alenquer Showed his quality with a G3 win at Sandown and a G2 win at Royal Ascot, earlier this season. Very genuine, he stays this trip well and as long as the ground is slower than good should run well in this, his biggest challenge.
14 Bubble Gift Returned from a 60-day break to win a G2 Arc trial here last month, coming from the back and leading in the last stride. However it was a weak edition of that race and it would be a huge shock if he won such a strong edition of this great race.
15 Snowfall Proved a 2021 revelation, with three straight G1 wins, the first being a record-breaking 16L victory in the Epsom Oaks, a G1 Classic. Only second in a G1 at Longchamp last month, behind and not quickening fast enough late on. Better than that.