Arc preview

Is there an adequate Japanese proverb that conveys the nation's unflinching endeavour to win the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe? Perhaps "Ishi no ue ni mo san nen", to sit patiently on a cold stone for three years which relates to the power of perseverance, or "Nana korobi ya oki", to fall seven times and get up eight, or "Mateba kairo no hiyori ari". The latter points to waiting out the unpredictable to choose the right route and ultimately prevail. Since the country's first real go in 1999...

There was a time when projecting the winner of the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe was simple. Just look for the Andre Fabre-trained colt perfectly tuned for the ParisLongchamp monument and voila. Times change, of course, and the master of Chantilly no longer enjoys the same dominion over the great race he conquered on five occasions between his inaugural victory with Trempolino in 1987 and Sagamix (Fr) in 1998. Just a trio have managed to extend that tally subsequently, which interestingly features only two older horses. This year,...