Qatar Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe – Trainer viewpoints

Love: Can she bounce right back to form, and is she somewhat under the radar?

PHOTO: Jack Williams / JTW Equine Images

Ahead of the Qatar Prix De L’Arc De Triomphe on Sunday, several of the main contenders’ trainers were interviewed by the assembled press in France and on Zoom.

First up was Ryuji Okubo, trainer of Deep Bond, who is bidding with compatriot Chrono Genesis to become the first winner of the Arc for Japan in the 100 year history of the race.

Ryuji announced that Mickael Barzalona has been booked to ride the son of Kizuna, as according to the trainer he is “the best jockey to ride in the Arc”. The horse proved his stamina for the trip by winning his trial a couple of weeks back at Longchamp in the Group 2 Prix Foy, outbattling Broome, who is aiming to reoppose.

The weather forecast is not too appealing for the big race on Sunday, with heavy rain predicted around the end of racing on Saturday evening and up until the Arc on Sunday. There is some element of uncertainty on when the rain will hit, with some forecasts saying on the day, some saying on Saturday and others saying it will be delayed until Monday.

Ryiji however is completely unperturbed, as he is confident his charge will handle the trip and the prevailing ground conditions. He has also acclimatised well, and “hopefully he will deliver in the race”.

It is a big aim for the Japanese to attain their Holy Grail of winning the Arc, and the trainer reflected on this, stating that there have been “plenty of Japanese runners and seconds”, and that it was a “big wish of mine to win the Arc”, and that “it would mean a lot to me”.

Reflecting further on his charge’s Prix Foy win, he said that he found a rhythm that suited him early on.

“He usually drops in, but on Sunday we will have to see how it pans out”.

The camp do fear the challenge of their compatriot Chrono Genesis, and don’t want them sat behind them, he noted in the conference.

Takashi Saito – Chrono Genesis

Takashi Saito spoke to the assembled press shortly afterwards, and started off by detailed the preparation work that had gone into his charge’s bid for glory on Sunday.

“She arrived in France on the 24th September and walked the next day. She galloped on 26th”.

Her next gallop took place on the 29th, the day of the conference, piloted by Oisin Murphy, who barring any accidents such as his unlucky incident at Salisbury the next day will be their big race partner.

“It went well and she is all settled in”, remarked her trainer afterwards.

Most of her Arc prep has been in Japan, with Oisin only instructed to not go “too fast”. Her trainer was delighted with how she had come out of the gallop, noting her “fluid action” and that he was “very happy”, further remarking that she is at her approximate racing weight that she would normally run at in Japan.

He isn’t worried about a lack of a run for her too, noting that it her type to have a large amount of time between runs, as “she needs the time in between races”. So no run since June doesn’t seem to be a hindrance to her, according to connections.

After commenting that Dubai is an option for her after her exertions are made on Sunday, it was stated by the trainer that this race ( the Arc ) has been the plan for her since December, when they won at Nakayama, the Grade 1 Arama Kinen. They used Dubai, where she was second in the Dubai Sheema Classic to subsequent King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes runner up and Juddmonte International winner Mishriff, as experience on how she would travel and settle in, before making the trip to Paris for the Arc.

Takashi has gained experience in Dubai, Ireland and the UK before committing to training in Japan, and learnt a lot from those exploits overseas.

“Each horse is different”.

Certainly so, as some horses may prefer a fast surface, while others may prefer a softer surface. Takashi isn’t worried about the prevailing and forecasted wet weather and soft ground, saying that there is an “eternal debate” on the subject. He did note that Chrono Genesis is “brave…..courageous” and will “adapt to the ground”.

Noting the opposition, he says it will be strong, but his job is merely to prepare her for the race, while Oisin will take her through it. He has no preference for stall position, which is handy as she has been drawn in stall 14, far on the outside of the 15 strong field. And he feels that she is the best chance for Japan to win the Arc since Orfevre, who was cruelly denied close home by Solemia in 2012 and then swept aside by Treve the year after, in both cases finishing second. Her 4 Grade 1 wins see her as a serious chance by her connections.

“My work is to get her 100% to the Arc”….. “but you do need luck”.

“I hope that will be the case on Sunday!”

“Lots of people have helped me along the way”, he says reflecting on his days as a trainer, a path that started in 2016. He says it is an honour to have any runners in any top class race, with the overriding message being the following – “ I would be very happy to win the Arc”.

Perhaps his stable star will be the one not just to deliver that, but break their home country’s hoodoo on the race.

Aidan O’Brien – Snowfall, Love & Broome

Aidan O'Brien - Triple handed for the Arc, will it be his third win in the coveted race?

PHOTO: Jack Williams / JTW Equine Images

One of the most famous trainers in history and a dual Arc winning trainer, Aidan O’Brien is saddling three horses in an attempt to take his total wins to three, after Dylan Thomas in 2007 and Found in 2016.

Snowfall appears to be his leading hope, a three year old filly by Deep Impact, and an emphatic 16 length winner of the Oaks at Epsom, in conditions that will be not too different from those on Sunday.

Whilst she was beaten in the Prix Vermeille on her prep for the Arc, Aidan was rather forthcoming about her performance, and stated that it was “better for her to be placed when things don’t go well ( in the trial ) rather than win and all go well”.

Speaking to the assembled press, he gave an update on her condition and how the staff at home are feeling about her.

“Davy, Wayne and Jamie were very happy”, he began. “She ran well in a slowly run race….. Frankie rode her in a fast run race on slow ground, other than a slowly run race on fast ground”.

A lot of the pre-race focus is on the impending rainfall that is sweeping in this weekend from the Atlantic, and how much it will affect conditions underfoot for the race. However, Aidan is confident she will handle any cut in the ground.

“We were worried about Epsom ( the Oaks ) in soft. ( She ) stays well in soft. She may even be better with ease in the ground”.

Needless to say, she goes into battle as the most likely winner of the trio from Ballydoyle.

Love

Love: redemption on the cards after being scratched from the race last year?

PHOTO: Jack Williams / JTW Equine Images

Love goes into the Arc with a much different reputation compared to 12 months ago when she was pulled out. Whereas she went into the race a multiple winner and an aura of invincibility about her, she hasn’t quite been the same horse this time around. A win at Royal Ascot in the Prince Of Wales’ Stakes over 1m 2f saw her going off favourite at 13/8 for the King George at Ascot. Unfortunately for her, she was outstayed by Adayar and Mishriff to finish third, and she was beaten by the latter again on the Juddmonte in the International, finishing six and a half lengths away in third.

Whilst her recent second, by a short head to La Petite Coco when giving them 9 pounds, looked disappointing, Aidan is not perturbed about her form and is relishing taking her to Longchamp.

“She ran two good races recently, and the tempo of the last two races didn’t suit her”. “She’s a year older now and I don’t think it will go too bad”.

He did mention something which leaves many questions – he says she will be fine on soft. This is the same Love who was pulled out of the Arc last year because the ground got soft. Very soft in fact. Will it be a case of lightning striking twice? Who knows.

Broome

Broome: Sneaking into the race after their Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud success?

PHOTO: Jack Williams / JTW Equine Images

The third arm to the triple raid on Longchamp is Broome, who comes here on the back of a maiden Group 1 win in the Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud, a fourth behind Adayar in the King George and a second in the Prix Foy behind fellow Arc contender Deep Bond.

Aidan stated that it was “always the plan” to step up from 1m 2f, Saint-Cloud seemingly showing that this was his best trip. Things didn’t go to plan at Ascot thereafter, where he “missed the kick” and pretty much threw away his chance at the start.

However, it would appear that Aidan is confident he will be able to handle any ground, and will presumably be ridden to lead, perhaps acting as a pacemaker for Snowfall and Love.

“He is very uncomplicated”.

Broome: Might be the pace setter, or might they steal the prize?

PHOTO: Jack Williams / JTW Equine Images

Aidan was also on hand to speak about some of his other runners at the weekend.

History has been withdrawn from the Prix Marcel Boussac as they were not 100% sound when pulled out on Wednesday. Furthermore Joan Of Arc will run in the Prix L’Opera that follows the Arc.

“The Prix Vermaille over 1m 4f was too far for her”, he noted after the filly finished last of seven in the Arc Trial, beaten 15 lengths behind Teona. “She likes to be ridden forward……. The Vermaille was a mess”.

“Stone Age is also a possible for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere”.

The Arc looks a race for the ages, let’s hope that it lives up to it’s billing. A huge day in Paris awaits, for all those lucky enough to travel...