Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) has drawn a field of
19, after two supplementaries and one withdrawal
on Thursday. As expected, Martin Schwartz’s STACELITA (Monsun) and Godolphin France’s
CAVALRYMAN (Halling) were added
to the mix, while Lady O’Reilly, the Moussac Family and Lucien Urano’s Prix
Jean Romanet (Fr-G1) heroine Alpine Rose (Linamix) is out.
Now almost assured
to line up with a favorable weather forecast, Christopher Tsui’s SEA THE STARS (Cape Cross [Ire]) was reported on target for his latest date with
destiny.
“He’s doing fine and I’m very happy with everything so far,” trainer
John Oxx said Thursday. “He cantered on Thursday morning, as all his fast work
is done, and he’ll just canter now until he flies over on Saturday morning.
“He’s had all these tough Group 1 events to travel for bar one, but for him it’s
no pressure. He’s always fresh and well, eats up all the time, is not an
over-extravagant worker and just does enough in his races, so he’s looking after
himself a little bit.”
With regards to the swollen field and draw factor, Oxx
admits that luck-in-running is his biggest concern.
“We’ll hardly have a discussion about tactics, and I’ll leave all that to
Michael (Kinane),” Oxx
added. “He’s been there before, and knows what to expect and knows the horse. A
big field is always the headache with the Arc, as you’re never quite sure what’s
going to happen and the draw comes into it, as you don’t really want a
particularly low draw. I don’t mind where he is through the race; it’s just a
case of getting a clear run when he wants it, which is the critical thing.”
Kieren Fallon, who last rode in the Arc when getting the better of YOUMZAIN (Sinndar)
on Dylan Thomas (Ire) two years ago, is also
hoping for a fortunate post position when he teams up with the two-time
runner-up. Trainer Mick Channon is expected to declare Youmzain in blinkers for
his third try at the main event.
“I am feeling very confident, and they say when they put the
blinkers on one morning he skipped away, which he has never done in his work
before,” Fallon said of Jaber Abdullah’s six-year-old. “I am hoping he does it in the Arc, as although it is one of the best
we’ve had for many years, Youmzain is right there with Sea the Stars, FAME AND
GLORY (Montjeu [Ire]) and VISION D’ETAT (Chichicastenango). He loves a big field, with the rough and tumble and
he’ll have his ground, so I’m just hoping I get a decent draw near the rail so I
can get in the box seat all the way round.”
“Sea the Stars has
been on the go all year,” Fallon continued, “and going back to Generous, he flopped there
(in the Arc)
after being so impressive in the Derby (Eng-G1) and King George (VI and Queen
Elizabeth Diamond S. [Eng-G1]), so I’m hoping for
selfish reasons that he has come to the end of the road, and we can continue
with Youmzain.”
As far as the supporting card is concerned, Thursday’s
supplementary stage saw Gestut Ammerland’s unbeaten LOPE DE VEGA (Shamardal)
added to the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Fr-G1), and the
fellow Andre Fabre trainee WEDDING MARCH (Dalakhani) added to the Prix Marcel Boussac
(Fr-G1) for Godolphin France.