For those that might be interested, according to the France Galop website, the running order for Longchamp on Sunday is as follows (BST +1): 14:00 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (1000m) 14:35 Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) 15:10 Prix de l’Opera (2000m) 15:55 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2400m) 16:40 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère (1600m) 17:15 Qatar Arabian World Cup (2000m, Pure Arabians) 17:50 Prix de la Forêt (1400m) 18:20 Prix Du Cadran (4000m) 18:50 Grand Handicap des Juments (2000m)
Drying ground means that Free Eagle now stands out far and away the e/w value in this race for me if he runs. Not entirely sure how likely that is though.
At the first forfeit stage for the Arc, eighteen have been technically eliminated leaving just 87 possibles to face the starter on Sunday! I expect that this will be considerably reduced at Wednesday’s second forfeit stage. I note that Esoterique has been supplemented to the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday, suggesting that she is probably not going to show up for the Prix de la Forêt on Sunday. Just as well I stayed away from that ante post market.
Here's the promo video Personally I preferred the one the Beeb did for the Grand National a few years ago
I think he's class but surely he's a 10f specialist. I'm not sure he was staying on that strongly lto so I doubt he'll appreciate the step up in trip. I prefer Found as an ew bet. I think she'll relish the extra distance, ran nicely last time and gets the allowances.
I see they have messed the running order around and now the big race goes off earlier and the Abbaye drops to later in the card. The place will be deserted by the time the Cadran hasbeen run, let alone the handicap that closes the card!! It is good to see its not only UK racing that makes silly changes.
Evens is widely available at the minute mate. I'm hoping she gets a poor draw to get some odds against on the day! Old boy Oppenheimers saying Golden Horn will beat her 'easily' on good/firm too
Still think drying conditions means we should be careful with Treve. She was not beating Flintshire by too far earlier this year and beating Arabian Queen and Beautiful Romance (who was winning at Windsor before that ) doesn't mean much, and the time said just as much. Free Eagle does have to prove stamina and I do wonder if they will even run him- they'll probably be stupid enough to go to Champion Stakes when it rains at Ascot and gets soft again. I think he deserves a chance at going up in trip on some decent ground, he stuck on well at Ascot in heavy stuff in last years Champion. I think this New Bay might be the biggest danger of all to Treve, he has done everything right and has a very nice turn of foot.
Surely they will water in order to give Treve the best possible chance. Anything on the firm side of good and I'll be taking her on with Golden Horn who at 5/1 is an ew bet to nothing
The ground will be perfect for Treve, I've no doubt about that. Home favourite going for the hat trick. No way on this earth will the going be the excuse if she doesn't prevail.
If the going has the word "firm" in it Criquet will have a very difficult decision to make. When Danedream won she clocked a time that was "fast by 6.01s". It was a scorcher of a day and I'm sure the going would have been described as "good to firm" in the UK. But it was officially "good". "Good" in France seems to be fast ground. So you really want "good to soft" for Treve. If it is "good" I expect her to run a good race (as usual) but would be slightly worried. Anything firmer and I wouldn't be surprised to see her pulled. Can't see that being allowed to happen so watering will have to be an option.
I am sure there is some good reason why France Galop have swapped the running order to put the Prix de l’Abbaye as the fifth race and moved the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère up to the second race making the first two races for the two year olds. We know that after the Arc has been run, half the French crowd disappear off home so it will not be so crowded for the Brits and Irish! Yesterday (Tuesday) the going at Longchamp was being reported as “Soft”; however, there is no rain forecast this week except for possibly some showers on Saturday so they will have the taps on.
At the second forfeit stage for the Arc, the field has been reduced to the following possibles: Flintshire – Andre Fabre Eagle Top – John Gosden Manatee – Andre Fabre Meleagros – Alain Couetil Prince Gibraltar – Jean-Claude Rouget Free Eagle – Dermot Weld Dolniya – Alain De Royer Dupre Treve – Mme Criquette Head-Maarek Frine – Carlos Laffon-Parias Siljan’s Saga – Jean-Pierre Gauvin Tapestry – Aidan O’Brien New Bay – Andre Fabre Migwar – Freddie Head Jack Hobbs – John Gosden Silverware – Alain Couetil Erupt – Francis-Henri Graffard Found – Aidan O’Brien Supplementary entries are on Thursday and at the moment the only declared intentions are to add Golden Horn and a pacemaker for Treve. Will Order of St George be added? Final declarations are on Friday. Interestingly, Found and Tapestry still hold engagements in the Prix de l’Opera.
