There were 96 entries made on the original date of 9th May. As well as last yearâs winner Danedream, most of last yearâs fancied runners are still in training and hold entries. The next forfeit stage is 2nd October, supplementary entries are 4th October and the race is 7th October. A quick listing of the entries by some of the big name trainers: Aidan OâBrien: St Nicholas Abbey, Windsor Palace, Fame And Glory, Treasure Beach, Await The Dawn, Memphis Tennessee, Robin Hood, Camelot, Ernest Hemingway, Imperial Monarch, Wrote, Kissed, Twirl, Maybe, Wading. Alain de Royer Dupre: Reliable Man, Shareta, Giofra, Ashkiyr, Mandour, Lago Minto, Dalkala, Makana, Sagawara, La Peinture. Andre Fabre: Meandre, Golden Lilac, Last Train, Masterstroke, Albion, Waldlerche. Freddie Head: Galikova, Propulsion, Sofast. Sir Michael Stoute: Sea Moon, Fiorente, Carlton House. Japanese entries: Beat Black, Earnestly, Trailblazer, Orfevre, Rulership, Aventino, World Ace, Hana's Goal. Other notables: Monterosso, Maxios, Dunaden, Nathaniel, Snow Fairy, Be Fabulous, Dancing Rain, Light Heavy, Parish Hall, Mandaean, Beauty Parlour, Sediciosa. Ironically, if Ballydoyle want to run Windsor Palace as a pacemaker, his Group race win significantly decreases his chances of being balloted out if there are more than twenty declarations. Coolmore have 15 entered, the Aga Khan has 7, Wertheimer & Frere have 5, Ecurie Wildenstein have 3, Godolphin have 3, Khalid Abdulla has 2 as do Sheikh Hamdan and Mrs James Bolger. The full list can be found at France Galop Fixture Search by entering a search for Octobre 7, Longchamp.
If you are planning on catching the Eurostar to go to Arc weekend, think again. When I tried to book for Arc weekend 120 days in advance on 9th June (earliest possible date), the online booking service was unavailable. So I sent them an e-mail, to which they replied on 12th June: Due to engineering work, there is a “revised” service after September 28th. Bookings are available from 12th June onwards. So I went on the Eurostar site and on Arc weekend the London to Paris services do not start until after 1pm in the afternoon and there are few of them; however, the return services from Paris appear to be running pretty much as normal but at extortionate prices. The cheapest Paris to London ticket after 7pm in the evening is £121 (one way). The cheapest flight I can find on the day from Heathrow arrives at Orly airport and has a return leg departing at 8:50 from Charles De Gaulle airport - questionable whether it will be possible to make that. I’ll have to look into it. A flight out to Orly plus a return Eurostar adds up to £191 plus twenty Euros for the train from Orly to central Paris (assuming the Euro still exists by October). I know from having looked previously that it is not possible to do a ferry trip via Calais because their late evening services do not accept foot passengers. Going on the ferry to Ouistreham (Caen) would mean getting the Monday morning ferry back and sitting in Caen railway station for six hours from 3am waiting for the Ouistreham bus - I've done that before. So the 2012 Arc may be a watch on TV event... Hopefully I will see the Arc winner at Longchamp on 16th September!
Last year, we travelled back on the Paris - Cherbourg train, which stops at Caen, on the Sunday evening so I would have thought it would be possible to take the overnight ferry from Caen or Cherbourg. Haven't actually looked into it as I don't go back to UK. I suppose also it depends how many are travelling as the more there are the cheaper and more convenient it becomes to travel by car. There again if you did travel by car it depends which English port is handiest. Given that Paris is the central point I guess flying could be cheaper for one, and more convenient if travelling light.
Will camelot go for this? Would be some acheivment if he did, also will anyone think Obrien take him to america?
Hope he goes for the Arc (assuming he isn't exposed before then) and pray he doesn't go to America. I'd like to see all our trainers boycott America to be honest.
I hope trainers boycott the Arc, Europes so called 'premier flat race'. The race is often decided by the draw, and arguably the best middle distance horse in Europe isn't allowed to compete.* What sort of a 'premier race' is that. The champion stakes is the way forward *
Best middle distance horse in Europe? Who you referring to, Cirrus Des Aigles? Fame and Glory? Just trying to think of proven middle distance horses who aren't included above. I'd love to see Frankel take the Juddmonte international on his way to a crack at the Arc, but maybe a mile and a half is just a bridge too far.
TopClass...Cirrus Des Aigles is not allowed to compete because he's a gelding, which is a disgrace if you ask me
It is a bit ludicrous. I never even knew that, blimey. I'd love to see equine passport control as they filter over to France for the Arc. Checking if their knackers are still in tact. Christ.
It never even crossed my mind Ron, it isn't something I usually take a whole lot of notice of other than when they are gelded ahead of a handicap debut, so was completely unaware. Did we not have a gelding who won a Derby trial at Epsom this season though?
I disagree with that aswell Ron, but atleast over here we allow geldings to run in all are all aged G1s. How can the Arc be regarded as Europes 'premier race' if not all the best horses are allowed to run.* Horse racing should be about racing first and foremost, not breeding*
True, but how many other geldings do you know of over the last 20 years that were/are better than the top colts? Maybe John Henry but can't think of any others off the top of my head. CDA is an exception and it's a shame he's not allowed to compete, I agree.
There aren't many Ron, il agree with that. The argument behind it is that it will affect the future of the breed, which as you've pretty much pointed out won't happen, as the chances of a gelding actually winning are pretty remote, as very few owners are going to geld horses of that ability*
You are so utterly parochial. Do you like any races outside the UK? The Arc isn't always grade A standard, but it's still one of the top races in Europe.
Ron, if I took the car I would be looking at a thousand mile plus round trip to Paris and that would be the only viable way to use the Portsmouth to Caen ferry as there is no bus service from Caen to Ouistreham (ferry port is nine miles from Caen) for the Sunday night sailing. There is no night sailing on Brittany Ferries at all from Cherbourg. As it is I have booked a flight with Easy Jet which returns from Charles De Gaulle airport at 21:55, hoping that the engineering works on the RERB line are finished by October so I can get there before the check-in closes at 21:15. At the time the first entries were made, Camelot was best-priced 5/1 favourite with the bookies on OddsChecker and 51/10 on Betfair. Personally I think he will be a no-show. If they keep him in training it may be the target next season. It was hilarious to see Frankel quoted on Betfair at 41/1. I wonder if anybody has been foolish enough to take those odds about a horse that is not even entered.
