Juddmonte's Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) was made the 4-5 favourite for Sunday's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly. The four-time Group 1 winner is looking for her sixth victory in a row and will break from barrier two. The soft going should prove no problem versus 17 rivals in this 2400-metre feature. A winner of both the English and Irish Oaks, the John Gosden trainee defeated Arc second choice Ulysses (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (7-1) by 4 1/2 lengths in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot in July before saluting by five lengths in the G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York on Aug. 24. The latter, who earned his second Group 1 win in the G1 Juddmonte International S. at that venue the day prior for Flaxman Stables, will make his first start since after Cheveley Park Stud bought into the 4-year-old entire on Monday. He will break from the rail for Sir Michael Stoute.
Trainer Aiden O'Brien is well represented this year, after scripting a fairytale ending in 2016, sending out the first three home–Found (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Highland Reel (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the returning formidable stayer Order Of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Victorious in the Sept. 10 G1 Comer Group International Irish St. Leger, the 5-year-old will be going this trip for the first time since last year's edition and is one of five hailing from Rosegreen. Dual Guineas heroine Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will be testing the waters at 1 1/2 miles for the first time, but should step forward off a gritty head defeat by Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron S. on Sept. 9. 2017 G1 Irish Derby and G1 St Leger hero Capri (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will take his place in barrier 15, while the quintet is rounded out by dual Group 1 victress Seventh Heaven (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and MGSW Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
German raider Dschingis Secret (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) has scored in his last three on the bounce in his native land, including Hoppegarten's G1 Longines Grosser Preis von Berlin over this trip on Aug. 13 and in Chantilly's Arc warm-up, the G2 Qatar Prix Foy on Sept. 10. He leaves gate 10 for trainer Markus Klug. His compatriot Iquitos (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), a MG1SW who landed Munich's G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis-Bayerisches Zuchtrennen two starts ago in July, ran second in the G1 Longines Grosser Preis Von Baden on Sept. 3, a race he won last term.
Al Shaqab Racing and Gerard Augustin-Normand's Brametot (Ire) (Rajsaman {Fr}) is looking to atone for a fifth-place finish in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano Haras du Logis Saint-Germain on Aug. 15 in Deauville. Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget's bay scooped both the G1 French 2000 Guineas and the G1QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club and exits stall four. Among other French hopes are three from the Andre Fabre yard: Al Shaqab's other entrant, Doha Dream (Fr) (Shamardal), who won the G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay on Arc weekend in 2016; the Wertheimers' lightly raced MGSP Plumatic (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Godolphin's G1 Prix Ganay victor Cloth Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
His Highness The Aga Khan's Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar) duly saluted in this contest in 2008 and her 4-year-old son Zarak (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) will aim to follow in her hoofprints from stall 18. The Alain de Royer-Dupre runner broke through at the highest level last out in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on July 2. MGSW One Foot In Heaven (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Ire}) also hails from the Royer-Dupre barn and drew stall 11.
One of Japan's keenest desires as a racing nation is to win the Arc, and owner Hajime Satomi is two fisted for the 2017 edition with MG1SW Satono Diamond (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) breaking from gate 13 and MGSW Satono Noblesse (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) leaving from stall five. Both are by Japan's greatest living sire, with the G1 Japanese St. Leger and G1 Arima Kinen hero entering the fray on the back of a fourth-place effort to Dschingis Secret and Cloth Of Stars in the Prix Foy on Sept. 10, with Satono Noblesse sixth that day.
The Arc field is rounded out by 2016 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud hero Silverwave (Fr) (Silver Frost {Ire}) who was one in front of Satono Noblesse in the Foy.
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