Group 1 winner Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a two-time winner at the highest level, leads the 16-strong G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe field by Timeform ratings at 125, the company announced on Friday.
Trained by Joseph O'Brien, the 4-year-old is rated four pounds inferior to Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who finished second to Al Riffa's third behind City Of Troy in the G1 Eclipse earlier this season. Another rated higher is Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), who is two pounds above the G1 National Stakes and G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin hero. Both Calandagan and Goliath are ineligible for the Arc, as they are geldings.
Timeform handicapper Graeme North said, “This year's Arc looks short of the quality that we can usually expect heading into Europe's premier weight-for-age race over a mile and a half.
“There are several reasons for that. Horses who might have been considered top contenders like Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), City Of Troy, Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) all have other targets, while several of the top older horses from last season, such as the first three in the 2023 Arc, Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}), Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), are no longer in training. But above all else it's because some of the best horses at the distance are geldings and so are disqualified from running.
“Timeform thinks this is wrong as permitting geldings to run would increase competition and give a better indication of the merit of horses from different crops.
“Calandagan and Goliath would have headed the ratings by some margin had they been allowed to participate, while high-class French middle-distance horses Iresine (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) and Zarir (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) [both also geldings] would also have added considerable spice to what currently looks a substandard running.”
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