Arc round-up: Estrange given green light to run

The prospect of rain in the lead up to the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe has convinced the Estrange team to make the trip to ParisLongchamp with their star filly.

Owned by Cheveley Park Stud and trained by David O’Meara, connections had been waiting to make a late call between Europe’s premier middle-distance contest or the Group One Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot a fortnight later.

However, with the weather possibly turning in the French capital ahead of Sunday’s showpiece, the decision has been made to roll the dice, with her North Yorkshire-based handler excited about the prospect of taking part in such a prestigious contest with his four-time winner, who is proven in soft ground.

“She’s going to take her chance in the Arc,” said O’Meara. “The weather forecast looks favourable and in the last couple of days quite a bit of rain has appeared in the forecast. We’re very much looking forward to it.

“To win an Arc would mean everything. It’s an iconic race and to have a runner in it, and one who hopefully has a competitive chance, is great for us.”

The talented grey has only been seen six times throughout her career, but has always possessed a touch of class and enhanced her reputation with a pair of taking victories at Haydock earlier this season, following up Lester Piggott Fillies’ Stakes success in the Lancashire Oaks in July.

Pitched into Group One company for the first time to face off against dual Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk in the Yorkshire Oaks, Estrange was not disgraced when second in quicker than ideal conditions on the Knavesmire, but was ultimately comfortably beaten by Aidan O’Brien’s leading Arc contender, albeit conceding 9lb on the weight-for-age scale.

However, O’Meara is hopeful of bridging the gap in Paris, with the duo set to lock horns with conditions this time more in the four-year-old’s favour.

“It’s highly likely Minnie Hauk will be supplemented tomorrow and she beat us well at York, but I’m hoping the softer conditions might get us a bit closer,” explained O’Meara.

“Whether we can reverse the form, I don’t know, Minnie Hauk could be an outstanding filly and is a dual Classic winner so we’re under no illusions. But the softening ground I’m hoping will get us nearer or give us a chance of overturning her.”

Christophe Soumillon visited Ballydoyle last week in an effort to get to know Minnie Hauk ahead of the pair teaming up in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained filly has been imperious this season, winning all four of her starts, three at Group One level.

She had little trouble in brushing aside the year-older Estrange in the Yorkshire Oaks last time out and is among the favourites to give O’Brien his first win in the race for nine years.

Soumillon, who has not won the Arc since the brilliant Zarkava in 2008, has stepped in to replace the injured Ryan Moore on several Ballydoyle big guns recently.

“Christophe sat on her the other day and that was the first time he had ridden her and he seemed very happy,” said O’Brien.

“Christophe did a nice half-speed on her Wednesday last week and it seemed to go well.”

Surprisingly Minnie Hauk was not among O’Brien’s initial entries for the race and she still needs to be supplemented.

He said: “She was a very expensive yearling (€1,850,000) and we always liked her a lot. We took our time and she was second in a maiden first time to one of Joseph’s (O’Brien, Wemightakedlongway) and the filly who beat her was second to her in the Irish Oaks.

“We knew she had a little bit of catching up to do this year as she only had the two runs so she went for the trial in Chester and obviously went from there to Epsom and the rest is history after that.

“When she went to Chester she was just ready to start so she did progress a lot to go to Epsom.

“We were very happy with what she did at Epsom and then from Epsom to the Curragh she progressed and she’s slowly progressed all year really.

“We’re very happy with her, she’s done everything we’ve asked, at home she’s been lovely.”

O’Brien also runs Los Angeles, who finished third last year, and would not be drawn on who he thinks will come out on top between the pair.

“I’d never be surprised by anything that happens in a race. My two have never worked together, they’ve had two different preparations totally, but it will be interesting,” he said.

“She does look a very good filly, but he looks a horse who is slowly progressing back to his best so it’s impossible to say that (who’d come out on top).

“All we can do is have them well, hope to get clean runs and the acid test is then when you run them.”

Oisin Murphy will bid to break new ground for both himself and Japan on Sunday when the multiple champion jockey partners Byzantine Dream in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The four-year-old rocketed into the big-race picture when winning the Prix Foy under Murphy on Arc trials day, beating the top-class Sosie, who was fourth in last year’s Arc when favourite for Andre Fabre.

That win saw the Tomoyasu Sakaguchi-trained runner’s odds tumble for his Paris date and only a handful of contenders are in front of him in the ante-post market.

Murphy has long had a successful relationship aboard Japanese-trained runners in major contests around the globe, and is now poised to deliver the European showpiece so sought after by the Japanese, but to date has proved elusive.

He said: “I was very happy with Byzantine Dream in the Prix Foy, he travelled round well and showed a nice turn of foot.

“It was a decent trial, where I didn’t have to get serious with him, and I thought Sosie was a decent benchmark.

“Nice ground will be important for him and I’ll be hoping for a dry week in France.”

Assessing the opposition, Murphy pointed towards another chance for Japan, as well as two dangerous fillies.

He said: “Croix Du Nord is a very good horse, the two fillies that stand out are Aventure and Minnie Hauk. Obviously Aidan’s (O’Brien) filly has done nothing wrong this year and Aventure was placed in the race last year.”

Francis-Henri Graffard has confirmed his three jockeys for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with Tom Marquand picking up the mount on Prix de Diane winner Gezora.

Marquand, who recently won the St Leger for the second time on Aidan O’Brien’s Scandinavia, has yet to land Europe’s showpiece race.

Graffard also runs Daryz (Mickael Barzalona) and Prix Jean Romanet heroine Quisisana, who will be ridden by Alexis Pouchin.

“As usual Mickael Barzalona will ride Daryz, Alexis Pouchin has ridden Quisisana before and Tom Marquand has been booked for Gezora,” said Graffard.