View from France: Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe trials day at ParisLongchamp

With all roads leading to ParisLongchamp for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 2, this Sunday’s card at the French racing headquarters is the traditional ‘Arc Trials’ card, where the final touches are made before the big weekend. The €600,000 Gr.1 Qatar Prix Vermeille (14.50) is the feature and is supported by a fantastic ten-race card. Our man in France, Jason Kiely dissects the big one and offers a few pointers on the undercard.

Tuesday tees up Arc bid

Tarnawa, Bateel, Treve and Zarkava have all been superb winners of the Gr.1 Qatar Prix Vermeille in recent years and it would be no surprise to see the Classic winner Tuesday add her name to the illustrious list of winners for one of the most important fillies’ prizes of the year.

Trained by Aiden O’Brien, who stills awaits his first success in the Prix Vermeille, Tuesday has been formidable in her six starts this year, the highlight being a narrow success over Emily Upjohn in the Gr.1 Epsom Oaks in June.

Talented, tough, and versatile, the perfectly-bred filly lost little in defeat to Alpinista at York recently and looks to have all bases covered this weekend.

Although a question can be posed if the ground were to get any softer, the 118-rated Tuesday should be able to put herself more firmly in the picture for next month’s showpiece with a win this weekend. Ballydoyle’s French ‘super-sub’ jockey Ioritz Mendizabal steps in for the ride on the filly, and provided she settles, Tuesday should be able to score on what could be a huge day across Europe for the Aiden O’Brien team.

Glory heads other contenders

On figures, statistics and breeding, its looks difficult to side with anything other than Tuesday for the €600,000 feature, however, there are a few other fillies that take the eye and can get competitive.

Grand Glory is the yardstick French female across recent seasons and shows no sign of stopping at the age of six. Her rating of 116 is rock solid and her third placed effort at Ascot behind State Of Rest was almost a career best run. Cristian Demuro gets back on the Gianluca Bietolini trained mare and although her record over course and distance is not the strongest, Grand Glory has been in outstanding form this season and must enter calculations.

On the other end of the spectrum is the incredibly light-raced but hugely talented La Parisienne, trained close to ParisLongchamp by Carlos and Yann Lerner. Unfortunate not to already be a Gr.1 winner, La Parisienne was very narrowly touched off by Nashwa in the French Oaks in June but hasn’t been seen since. The three-year-old has only raced on four occasions and connections have already stated that La Parisienne may need the run and will be respected this weekend, with her main target being either the Gr.1 Prix Opera or the Arc, which are both on Sunday October 2nd.

Albaflora may have needed her run at Chester in May but its is worrying to see her off the track since. The Ralph Beckett trained five-year-old doesn’t hold an entry on Arc weekend and considering that some stables may not wish to show their cards fully this weekend, the highly-rated Albaflora may be dangerous if returning to the form she has shown at Gr.1 level previously.

Finally, Agave is a potential star but is lightly-raced and may have to wait until next year to hit the dizzy heights of her talented family, which includes Enable, who comes under the second dam Concentric. Agave is an interesting contender who remains entered in the Arc and the step up in trip this weekend may help, along with any extra cut in the ground.

VERDICT – 1. TUESDAY 2. Agave 3. La Parisienne

Verry Elleegant on recovery mission

Incredibly disappointing on her European bow three weeks ago, the Southern hemisphere superstar Verry Elleegant turns out for the Gr.2 Prix Foy (13.33) on Sunday afternoon and steps back up in trip, which may encourage a better performance this weekend.

Christophe Soumillon takes over on board the seven-year-old in what looks an extremely open contest. Six runners head to post for the €130,000 contest and despite the weaker opposition, it is difficult to get overly excited regarding the hopes for Verry Ellegant.

Irresine ran an excellent race in this contest in 2021 and with a decent prep run at Deauville last month, the talented five-year-old may be difficult to beat at a course he does well at, while the talented, yet frustrating High Definition drops in class for the first time since May and could be dangerous in such an open contest under Ioritz Mendizabal.

VERDICT – High Definition

Deuce could be a smash hit in Prix Niel

In exceptional form in his native Japan earlier this year, and towards the upper end of the betting for the Gr.1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, Do Deuce should be difficult to beat in the Gr.2 Prix Niel (15.25) on his European debut.

Trained by Yasou Tomomichi and ridden by popular Japanese rider Yutaka Take, Do Deuce looks the most exciting Japanese horse to have a tilt at the Arc in recent years and if reproducing the same Gr.1 winning effort as he did at Tokyo in May, then the three-year-old son of Heart’s Cry could head into next month’s showpiece as a liv contender.

Lassaut looks the main danger and was impressive on his return success at Deauville last month, but strictly on the figures, he has some work to do to get the better of Do Deuce, who should be one of the most interesting punting prospects on the card.

Verdict – Do Deuce

English raiders to score

In the remaining two Group races, it may be worth sticking with the tried and tested method of English-trained runners taking a first chance at French stakes racing.

In the Qatar Gr.3 Prix du Petit Couvert (16.00), the James Tate trained sprinter Royal Aclaim can bounce back to form in an open contest. The 1000m track at ParisLongchamp is particularly rapid and the York Listed winner looks well drawn to blitz her rivals in Paris. She holds an entry over the same course and distance in the Gr.1 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp in three weeks’ time and looks a very likely candidate in a field full of exposed runners.

Slightly less obvious but interesting nonetheless is the Hugo Palmer trained Ever Given in the final group race on the card, the Gr.3 Qatar Prix du Pin. Consistent at stakes level, Ever Given may have to play second fiddle to the Francis Henri Graffard trained Rozgar but should give a good account of himself in a weak contest for the grade.

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