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Several Hold Claims in a Wide Open 2010 Arc de Triomphe
17/09/10

With just two weeks to go before the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the 2010 renewal of the most valuable race in Europe looks wide open with bookmakers offering 7/2 the field and cases can be made for just about all the leading candidates.

It’s a far cry from 12 months ago when all talk in the build up to the race surrounded one horse, Sea the Stars, who duly obliged as the red hot 4/6 favourite to win at Longchamp and cap an amazing six Group One wins for the season.

Whilst there doesn’t appear to be any potential superstars set to line up in Paris on 3rd October, for one of the runners, an automatic entry in to the history books, alongside Sea the Stars as the winner of one of Flat Racing’s most prestigious races awaits.

As it stands, the French trained Behkabad is regarded as the favourite in the betting after winning the Prix Niel last weekend, a trial that has produced two Arc winners in the past five years. Already proven over the trip, including two course and distance wins, it is no surprise that Behkabad is well fancied and the fact that he’s half brother to Sea the Stars on the side of his sire, Cape Cross, will only act to increase the confidence of his backers.

The horse that has been narrowly beaten by Behkabad on his last two starts is Planteur and represents the next best French hope in the race but the fact that the Elie Lellouche trained three year old has yet to win a Group One and it’s difficult to find a reason why the Colt will reverse form with the Jean-Claude Rouget runner.

Fame And Glory
© Coolmore

The pick of the British and Irish runners come in the form of Aidan O’Brien trained Fame and Glory and Sir Michael Stoute’s Workforce. Ballydoyle will be hoping that Fame and Glory will provide them with their second Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner after Dylan Thomas won in 2007. Sixth in the Arc 12 months ago, Fame and Glory was kept in training by connections and has retained every bit of ability as a four year that that saw him go off second favourite behind Sea the Stars. Victories this season include Group One wins in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and Coronation Cup and another tilt at the £2.2 million first prize at Longchamp in a fortnight’s time has been the long term objective. However, older horses don’t have a great record in recent years with only three horses aged four and above winning the race since 1994 and the O’Brien three year old, Cape Blanco may hold the best chance of Ballydoyle success in 2010.

An impressive winner of the Irish Champion Stakes earlier this month, Cape Blanco deserves to be higher in the betting than his 10/1 quotes and his chance of victory are better than those odds suggest and much will depend on which of the O’Brien pair Johnny Murtagh opts to ride.

Workforce
© www.epsomderby.co.uk

Another horse who will be looking to continue the domination of three year olds is Workforce, who won the Epsom Derby in record time in June before disappointing in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth stakes last time out. Following that Ascot defeat, Workforce drifted to odds as big as 16/1 after previously being favourite but a lack of market leaders together with positive noises from his stable has seen Stoute handed his best chance of winning his first ever Arc de Triomphe with a tilt at the Breeders Cup also on the cards.

Sarafina flies the flag for the fillies in the race and bids to become only the second female to win the race in thirty years after Zarkava won in 2008, who was also trained Alain De Royer-Dupre and if the lightly raced filly can improve again and take advantage of her weight allowance she could upset her male rivals but as it stands, Sarafina is just one of several with chances in a wide open 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and it will only be in the Longchamp winners enclosure that we will know for sure, who the best European thoroughbred of the year is.