Three horses to follow on Arc undercard at Longchamp on Sunday

First Instinct – Prix de l’Abbaye De Longchamp, Sunday

William Haggas has two potential runners in Sunday’s Abbaye, but the stiff six furlongs of the Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot would look the more natural fit for Sky Majesty, who can be given another chance at the top table having been bumped around a little in the run on her Group 1 debut in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock.

This flying five furlongs should play more to the strengths of First Instinct and she looks potentially a spot over-priced around the 12/1 mark. She’s never run at the highest level in her life but arrives on the back of a career-best Group 3 success over the minimum trip at Newbury and that victory was arguably a little overlooked due to the eyecatching effort of her stable companion Montassib back in third.

First Instinct was quickly from the gates but then had to do all of the donkey-work among the smaller group of four that raced more towards the stands’ side rail. She had no real right to lay it down to Shagraan, who had the perfect tow into it thanks to Habooba who went way to hard out in front in the far side group, and I loved how the winner knuckled down in the closing stages.

She’s thriving, looks to be getting quicker with age and is effective on all kinds of ground which looks a bit of a bonus given the iffy weather forecast.

Wemightakedlongway – Prix de l’Opera, Sunday

Joseph O’Brien has yet to win the Prix de l’Opera but he saddled the sixth last year, was responsible for the third home in both 2023 and 2022, and he also had the fifth in 2021. So, he appears to be getting there and might have a say this time around too courtesy of Wemightakedlongway.

She’s got plenty to find with the older fillies in here such as See The Fire and Tamfana on their peak form but the daughter of Australia did beat Minnie Hauk in a Cork maiden 12 months ago and has proved that no out-and-out fluke subsequently, for all that the Ballydoyle filly has unquestionably progressed past her this season.

Wemightakedlongway ran in the Ballysax at the start of the year, was pitched in against more established stars in the Pretty Polly Stakes and then ran a good race to be second behind old rival Minnie Hauk back at the Curragh in the Irish Oaks when last seen in July.

Wemightakedlongway has had 78 days away so perhaps not everything has been plain sailing but she’s been left in here and the Champion Fillies And Mares at Ascot later in the month so appears to be heading into the autumn as a bit of a forgotten horse.

Poet Master – Prix de la Foret, Sunday

Karl Burke and owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum are having a fine end to the year, featuring big-race wins with Zeus Olympios and Boiling Point at Newmarker’s Cambridgeshire meeting, and wouldn’t be a huge shock to see that rumble on into Arc weekend.

Poet Master is pitching up for what looks another warm edition of the Foret but he handles some ease in the ground so connections won’t be too concerned over the forecast. Indeed, they’ll be highly encouraged by last month’s half-length comeback second over the same course and distance, when only beaten by a Francis Graffard-trained improver (Roshvar), and while he’s gone well fresh in the past, Poet Master was still entitled to need the run after 169 days away.

He was fifth in the Foret 12 months ago, only giving best close home having been in a prominent position from halfway, and could be able to outrun long odds again this weekend.

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