Arc de Triomphe tips: Trials day reaction including victory for Japan challenger Deep Bond

Is this the year for Japan?

Japan’s relationship with the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe has become quite the love affair but, as yet, we are still waiting for the happy ending.

Deep Impact was supposed to change all that when sent off favourite and carrying the weight of a nation, and many more adoring fans at Longchamp, in 2006.

Having glided around the Paris track looking every inch the champion he had proved himself to be back home, Deep Impact found disappointingly little when sent into the lead a couple of furlongs from glory, eventual winner Rail Link picking him up with ease before Pride relegated the raider to third.

Six years later in 2012, another champion arrived from the Far East and when Orfevre quickened clear at the furlong pole, victory was his. Or perhaps so it should have been.

But fate had other ideas for Japan and when Orfevre began to idle inside the last 100 yards, outsider Solemia produced an astonishing and barley believable finish to snatch victory from the jaws of certain defeat in the final strides. There were seven lengths back to the third, and Japan’s wait went on.

But now, as the curtain comes down on another trials day at Longchamp, Japan appear to have a couple of genuine contenders for Arc glory this year.

In Chrono Genesis they have a brilliant 1m4f horse who pushed Juddmonte International hero Mishriff all the way at Meydan in March, before returning home to pick up another top-class prize.

He is as short at 9/1 for the big one already, but what about Deep Bond, who seemingly had plenty left in the tank when holding Broome at bay in the Prix Foy?

Deep Bond has relatively few miles on the clock and given the Arc will be only the 11th start of his career, there should be plenty more to come from a horse who has really improved in the last six months or so.

Runner-up over two miles when last sighted, staying looks to be Deep Bond's forte and having the mettle to outstay Broome at the end of 1m4f certainly suggests he could be a live contender if this year’s Arc becomes a war of attrition.

On a weekend when a few Arc hopes were dashed, or at the very least slightly dented, Japan's were seemingly handed a significant boost. Perhaps Japan may finally get their rewards for persistence after all.

Berneuil blasts into l'Abbaye picture

Much like Japan with the Arc, France have suffered a remarkably modest record in the Prix de l'Abbaye in recent years. Wooded was successful for Francis-Henri Graffard last year but prior to that, you have to go back to 2012 for the last French-trained winner.

In Suesa, an impressive victor at Goodwood earlier in the summer, the home guard should take some stopping this year, but don't discount the claims of Sunday's impressive Prix du Petit Couvert hero, Berneuil.

This is a horse with very few miles on the clock and even less sprinting experience, but he routed this admittedly modest field in the manner of a speedster going places and there are reasons to believe the four-year-old is a long way from reaching his ceiling yet.

Since connections opted to drop in trip this summer, Berneuil had suffered three narrow defeats following victory at Chantilly in April, but the move to book Christophe Soumillon proved a masterstroke on Sunday and the pair could prove a threat to Suesa and co in the Abbaye .

Having raced handily and hitting the front on a couple of occasions this season, only to have his pocket picked late on, Berneuil was switched off beautifully by Soumillon on this occasion – seemingly being helped by having to wait for a gap approaching the final furlong – before unleashing a smart burst of acceleration to put the race to bed.

Of course, things will be tougher in the Abbaye, but this may be an improving sprinter and the key being to ride him cold and bank on his potent turn of foot. If Soumillon keeps faith and takes the ride again next month, Berneuil is not one to underestimate.

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