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Punter's Diary by Malcolm Heyhoe

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punter's diary
Updated: 1st October 2012 - GG.com

Autumn Fireworks

The first Sunday in October can mean only one thing and that is Paris in the autumn for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on October 7.

Snow Fairy
© Racehorse Photos

Snow Fairy

Sadly this year's Group 1 race bonanza featuring Europe's greatest race will not be shown on terrestrial television and the absence of the Flat season's best day of racing is just another blow in what has been a frustrating and downbeat Flat campaign, Frankel honourably excepted, of course.

Part of the reason for the stuttering narrative to this year's Flat action has been the poor crop of three-year-olds, unable to win a Group 1 race against their elders and finding it hard to string together two or more consecutive victories at the top level.

This dearth of talent among the Classic generation is sure to have serious implications for the outcome of the 2012 Arc in a race that traditionally favours the younger horses against their older counterparts.

I suspect that this time around an older horse will land the spoils on the Bois de Boulogne. There is no shortage of plausible candidates for the top race in Europe and among the more potent contenders has to be Snow Fairy, who has returned from a serious injury with a whirlwind turn of foot and a stronger profile than ever before while Japanese superstar Orfevre bids to atone for several near-misses by his compatriots in Europe's greatest race and the zip that he showed to quicken up and land the Prix Foy last time suggests he should go very close to giving Japan its first ever Arc winner.

The rest of the Arc card features six more Group 1 races with Swiss Spirit looking an intriguing contender for the Prix de l'Abbaye over the minimum trip. Today's sprinters are a ragbag bunch and usually they take turns to beat each other over 5f and 6f, and Swiss Spirit is like a breath of fresh of air on a stale sprinting division and could well come out on top.

After the Arc weekend it is another jam-packed feast of racing at Newmarket on October 13. The Cesarewitch holds pride of place on a superb card and this brutal test of stamina has always been a hard race to win but this time around the David Simcock-trained Montaser should be in with a big shout following a promising prep run at Yarmouth the other day.

Dawn Approach
© Caroline Norris

Dawn Approach
On the same card Moohjaahim rates a strong fancy for the Middle Park Stakes. I have not been so impressed with a two-year-old than Marco Botti's charge who looked a potentially top-class colt when scoring at Newbury the other day.

In the Dewhurst Stakes all eyes will be upon Dawn Approach as he bids to give Irish trainer Jim Bolger a remarkable fourth recent success in this Group1 prize. Bolger's striking colt has looked a notch or two above his rivals all season and should collect.

Frankel
© Racehorse Photos

Frankel
The main domestic Flat action of the month switches to Ascot for Champions Day on October 20 when the world's greatest racehorse will bring the curtain down on a fabulous career. Frankel will win the Champions Stakes at prohibitive odds of 1-10, and it is a pity his trainer's more conservative instincts were not overcome and the colt be allowed to take his chance in the Arc. Still, it has been fantastic following Frankel and he will never be forgotten.

On October 27 the month's action comes to an end with the jumps season edging nearer to centre stage with Aintree's two-day Old Roan Chase meeting on October 27 and 28 while Chepstow stages the Silver Trophy Handicap Hurdle on the 27th, the same day that Doncaster plays host to the Racing Post Trophy on Town Moor.

Malcolm Heyhoe writes weekly horse racing articles for GG.COM-Horse racing betting, information, news, results and free daily tips

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