By Tom Frary
The all-important draw was made for Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on Thursday morning and it was the connections of the defending champion Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) who suffered the annual hammer blow by being handed stall 18 in the mile-and-a-half monument. In a further twist of the knife for Gestut Auenquelle's 2021 hero, fortune favoured virtually all of the other key contenders as the draw made almost a race of two halves. Kirsten Rausing's indomitable Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) had her task made one notch easier with an ideal draw in six, Ballydoyle's probable favourite Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) has eight, while Gerard Augustin-Normand and Jean-Etienne Dubois's 'TDN Rising Star' Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has little impediment in 11 as one of the race's big hold-up merchants. Even the various “Derby” winners from across the globe, Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}), Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) and Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), struck gold drawn in two, three and seven respectively.
Title Holds The Pace Key
Regardless of the draw, the main protagonists will be looking at Japan's chief hope Titleholder (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) to shape the race as the main pace angle and Hiroshi Yamada's 4-year-old could also be ideally poised in 10. Drawn in 16 for the May 1 G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), the potential international superstar was rushed forward by Kazuo Yokoyama and a repeat of that tactic looks highly likely here. The habitually slow-starting Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) is in 14 and could be asked to press forward, but without any other obvious front-running type in the better half of the draw it could be a case of the big favourites following Japan's number one. Torquator Tasso was in 12 last year, but to put his post position into perspective he is three-wide of the 15 stall overcome by one of the true greats Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) in 2013. A year before that, Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) came agonisingly close to defying stall 18 on heavy ground, so that is the standard that the German flag-bearer has to meet from the stall that once housed a dual Arc hero in Alleged.
Soumillon Buoyed By Draw As Stamina Test Looms
Thursday was a day of good news and bad news for Christophe Soumillon, who first learned that The Aga Khan's G1 Prix du Jockey Club and G1 Eclipse S. hero Vadeni was handed stall two, but also that rain will continue to come to Paris ahead of the showcase. Around 10mm is forecast for Saturday, which will make it testing as it was in the last three years. “I was hoping to have a draw between the middle and the inside and that's what we have,” he said. “We are waiting for a lot of rain on Friday night and Saturday morning, so it just depends on the track really. The rain plus the distance is a little worry for us–we don't really know if the horse is going to handle it. It's a test for him, but I'm sure the way he finished last time he should be good. The track was soft in Ireland and the horse is much better in these conditions now. He has a great turn of foot and a lot of quality, which is the most important thing you need in a big race like the Arc.”
Cards Confirmed For The Lead-Up
Friday's action sees Saint-Cloud stage the G3 Prix Thomas Bryon Jockey Club de Turquie, with Ballydoyle represented in another French foray with their juveniles by the Aug. 20 Curragh maiden winner Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). The relative of Saxon Warrior (Jpn) encounters Allan Belshaw's impressive Sept. 3 La Teste de Buch scorer Times Boulevard (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}) from the Christophe Ferland stable, and Orbital Racing Group and Harry Redknapp's Aug. 21 Sandown maiden winner Knockhill (Ire) (Decorated Knight {GB}) in a fascinating warm-up for next month's G1 Criterium International. Saturday's trio of Group 1s are also set, with Newmarket's strong-looking Royal Bahrain Sun Chariot S. seeing Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) taken on by 'TDN Rising Stars' Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Laurel (GB) (Kingman {GB}), among others, while at ParisLongchamp the week's most-discussed horse Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) faces nine in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu and the Qatar Prix du Cadran featuring the keenly-awaited clash between Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).
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