Andy Holding previews Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
16:00 L'Arc de Triomphe
If the weather forecast is to be believed, racegoers are set to be basking in late autumnal sunshine in Paris over the weekend, so even though the current going description for Longchamp is very soft, the Arc looks set to be run on much quicker ground than any of the last four renewals.
Connections of the unbeaten favourite Ace Impact (best price 3/1) certainly won’t mind if the conditions dry out in the build up to the race as the son of Cracksman has already landed a Group 1 on decent ground earlier in the campaign.
Who is the favourite for the Arc de Triomphe 2023?
The favourite for the Arc de Triomphe 2023 is Ace Impact (3/1), whose victory in the French Derby signalled him as being one of the best horses of his generation over middle distances and he has had the rest of his season very much built around a crack at Sunday’s prize.
2023 Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe Odds
| Winner | Best Odds | Worst Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Ace Impact | 3/1 | 5/2 |
| Westover | 9/2 | 4/1 |
| Hukum | 13/2 | 6/1 |
| Continuous | 7/1 | 6/1 |
| Feed The Flame | 8/1 | 7/1 |
| Bay Bridge | 14/1 | 10/1 |
2023 Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe Runners
Ace Impact
Having just had the one race since, a cosy victory for Ace Impact at Deauville a month served the purpose of getting his preparations spot on without overdoing his work.
With his final workout at Deauville on Monday likely to have brought his fitness levels to fever pitch, Jean-Claude Rouget’s colt has every chance of providing his handler with his second Arc winner after Sottsass in 2021. The only box left unticked with him would be the 1m4f trip.
Hukum
The closest challenger to Ace Impact in the latest betting odds is Hukum (9/2), who has also had his season geared around landing one of the world’s great Flat races. His victory in the King George when last seen suggests he has the strongest credentials of the raiding party.
In beating a stellar field at the Berkshire venue there can be no doubt he is a genuine Group 1 horse and unlike Ace Impact, he is a proven stayer over the trip. He will also appreciate the drying ground.
Westover
Connections of Westover (13/2) have also decided to keep their charge fresh in a bid to turn the tables on his old rival and given his overall profile and season his trainer has enjoyed, Ralph Beckett’s inmate comes across as one of the more plausible winners of the race.
Undone by very testing conditions in this race last year, the son of Frankel has since gone on to prove he is one of the best horses in the world over 1m4f and providing he receives a decent draw come Sunday, everything looks set fair for another big performance from this likeable and consistent colt.
Continuous
Although Aidan O’Brien has trained two winners of the Arc, it is a race he has also suffered plenty of disappointments in the past and the master of Ballydoyle looks up against it again this season with only St Leger hero Continuous likely to face the starter.
Not only have three-year-old colts tended to struggle in the Arc in recent times, the winners of the final Classic of the season on Town Moor have an even worse record when trying to double up in Paris. Given the stats, the son of Heart’s Cry rates poor value at his current 7/1 quotes.
Arc De Triomphe Tips | Andy Holding Ante-Post Tips
It’s been a while between drinks since Workforce took this race for Sir Michael Stoute in 2010 but in the shape of BAY BRIDGE (best price 14/1), the Newmarket handler might just have the joker in the pack in this year’s renewal.
Winner of the Qipco Champions Stakes at Ascot last October, there has been several bumps in the road since, but on the evidence of his most recent display in the September Stakes at Kempton (same race Enable used before triumphing in 2018), he could well turn out to be a totally different proposition over 1m4f.
Trying the trip for the first time at the Sunbury track, the son of New Bay stayed on very powerfully in the closing stages of a well-run affair and with the time figure pointing towards a performance of some repute, he heads into his biggest test to date at least with that box ticked.
Short of his best on good ground or faster, conditions on Sunday should prove ideal and with a body of work and maturity that comes with racing at the very highest level for quite some time, he has many attributes familiar with previous winners of this race.
Of the rest, Feed The Flame arrives here following a decent effort in an old-fashioned, slowly run Arc trial over the C&D last time and granted a stronger pace, he can’t be written off, while fellow home challenger Simca Mille can also be added to the mix based on several strong form lines over the same C&D he encounters on Sunday.
Recommendation: Bay Bridge (0.5pts Each-Way @ 14/1
