Thundering Nights (Ire)

It is racing's greatest dichotomy. Labelled by the official ParisLongchamp website as "la meilleure course au monde", the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will have few who brook any argument with that claim. Yet it is the time of year within which it is framed that delivers the ultimate snag, with autumn's entry prompting an often drastic change in terrain and a late turnpike for the kings and queens of summer just past. Half of the previous 10 renewals of France's great monument have been run on testing...

Narrowly denied in the GII New York S. earlier this month, Shapoor Mistry's Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) was able to come out on top of another tight finish on Sunday when garnering The Curragh's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. Settled behind the leading trio early by Shane Crosse, the 16-5 shot seized the advantage approaching the final furlong and held off the strong challenge of TDN Rising Star Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) to score by a neck, with 2 1/2 lengths back to the 11-4 favourite...