Check out the Timeform report for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and individual comments for every runner.
How good was the 2021 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?
About as strong a line-up as could have been hoped for, particularly given the conditions, Mishriff and the recently-retired St Mark's Basilica - for whom this was probably never a realistic option anyway - the only two notable absentees among Europe's top middle-distance horses.
The 14 who lined up were responsible for 11 Group One victories in 2021 alone, while every single other runner not successful at the top level this year had either been placed in a Group One or won a Group 2.
Despite the size of the field there was no obvious pace in the race, surprising to see not a single pacemaker lining up.
Predictably the race was a little bit messy, the lack of gallop certainly counting against Adayar, while both of the placed pair shaped really well, beginning their efforts from further back than the winner after meeting trouble but picking up better than him initially only to both succumb late, the first 3 stretching away from the rest late on.
An a point of interest, Torquator Tasso became the fourth older horse to win in a row and the seventh in 10 years, a definite shift after a period of domination for three-year-olds from the mid-90s.
Horse-by-horse analysis
TORQUATOR TASSO (GER) became the third German-trained winner of the race (following Star Appeal in 1975 and Danedream in 2011), improving in the region of 7lb on what he'd done previously, even if he did arrive on the back of a win in the Group One Grosser Preis von Baden.
Beginning his effort from fractionally ahead of the placed pair in mid-division, he lacked the immediate turn of foot that they produced but, having been quite wide throughout, was gradually able to build up to full stride in the straight and got on top close home.
A career at stud might be the best option for him now, as it's hard to think he'll be able to top this if kept in training in 2022.
TARNAWA (IRE) won the Opera on this card last year as part of an unbeaten season, but she's arguably furthered her reputation in narrow defeats on her last two starts now, shaping really well in the circumstances just as at Leopardstown three weeks earlier.
She managed to recover into mid-division after being slowly into stride but had to wait for a gap from 3f out and was shuffled back early in the straight before making good headway upon darting to the inside at the cutaway just over 2f out, sustaining her run to get upsides approaching the final 100 yards, edged out late on but winning the head-bob with Hurricane Lane for second
A defence of her Breeders' Cup Turf crown looks on the cards, and she'll take the beating in that.
HURRICANE LANE (IRE) improved still further at the end of a season of relentless progress that began in mid-April, as untroubled by a slightly messy Arc as he had been by a truly-run St Leger merely three weeks earlier. He is a most admirable and hardy three-year-old.
Soon reined back to race alongside the winner in mid-field, he didn't have a clear run under 3f out but made good headway from the point it opened up for him 2f out, getting upsides inside final 1f and only edged out late on, losing the head-bob with Tarnawa for second.
He'll no doubt be back for more in the top races in 2022.
ADAYAR (IRE) arrived as the winner of the Derby and King George, the form of the latter having been boosted by Mishriff's wide-margin success in the Juddmonte International, but he'd been forced to miss an intended prep run in the Prix Niel with an infection in a hind leg and was just a bit too fresh after 11 weeks off to really give his running, arguably the chief sufferer of the lack of pace in the race, too.
Finding himself in front after 4f taking a strong hold, he kicked on over 2f out and it looked briefly like his class might see him home but he began to flounder 1f out and was headed approaching the final 100 yds, unable to find any extra.
A fine sort physically who was having just the seventh run of his life, it'll be a major shame if he's not kept in training as four-year-old.
SEALIWAY (FR) ran even better in form terms than he had when chasing home St Mark's Basilica in the Prix du Jockey Club four months earlier, proving his stamina for the 2f longer trip (which had been far from assured). Raced wide, patiently ridden, effort out widest of all under 2f out, ran on and took fifth close home.
SNOWFALL (JPN) ran better than in the Vermeille without quite looking the filly that had so dominated the fillies' scene for most of the year; waited with, had to wait for gap from 3f out, got gap around 2f out, headway over 1f out, no further impression.
CHRONO GENESIS (JPN) who'd gained a repeat win in the Takarazuka Kinen since pushing Mishriff so close in the Sheema Classic, has some form on soft ground back home but ostensibly seemed to find it blunting her somewhat; kept wide of the rest early from stall 14, she came across after 4f and gradually worked her way into second, was ridden when hung right under 2f out and beginning to weaken when squeezed slightly inside final 1f.
BUBBLE GIFT (FR) advanced his form not inconsiderably from his win in a very weak-looking running of the Prix Niel, even if it was only enough for eighth the way this panned out; slowly into stride, raced well off the pace, effort when switched over 2f out, stayed on gradually.
ALENQUER (FR) had conditions in his favour but the way the race developed certainly wasn't, not really a quickener for all he'd emerged best of the rest behind Mishriff in the Juddmonte International the time before; tracked pace, pushed along around 3f out, not quicken over 1f out; he's probably got unfinished business as a stayer in 2022.
MOJO STAR (IRE) was unsuited by the way the race developed faced with an even stiffer test than previously this year; chased leaders, shuffled back a bit under 3f out, not recover; he didn't have as hard a race as he might have here, and the Long Distance Cup, for all it's only 13 days away, remains a possibility, nothing wrong with the St Leger form.
BROOME (IRE) continues to have his troubles from the stalls but, after recovering quite quickly, he'd probably have benefit from having more use made of him than he had, either way running below form; missed the break, soon handy, not quicken under 2f out, faded final 1f.
RAABIHAH (USA) couldn't match her fifth-placed finish in this race last year; steadied at the start from widest draw, patiently ridden, shuffled back to rear under 3f out, brief headway under 2f out, not sustain effort.
BABY RIDER (FR) wasn't seen to best effect; in rear, caught on heels and lit up before halfway, no room under 3f out but made no impression once in the clear.
DEEP BOND (JPN) seemed to bounce from his win in the Foy, the ground perhaps not ideal for all he'd won on soft back home, too, while he was given a strange ride to boot, soon steadied and finding himself stuck wide having emerged from a low draw, made an effort even wider under 3f out but faltered under 2f out.