BEFORE the inauguration of the British Champions Day, it was the Arc that was the culmination of the flat season. It is one of those races that to look back at the winners can bring you back through the annals of 100 years of flat racing

However, personal memories don’t begin with much affection for the great French flat season finale.

In the current inquiry debates about favouring the best horse winning and his rights superseding any running offences, Arc memories begin with the notion that this was a race that the best horse never won.

Before distinct memory, the history books record, the dual winner Tantieme and Ribot as the stuff of legends. Sea Bird sealed his greatness with an untroubled win over the best the world could offer. The Americans tried with Tom Rolfe long before the Japanese gave it a shot.

Through the decades, it was not a race that you dared to dream of an Irish winner. Even a legendary name like Nijinsky lost his invinciblity in Paris.

There were eight years between Levmoss and Alleged, a long 22 more from Vincent O’Brien’s dual winner to Sinndar.

An unconsidered French filly always seemed to come and ruin the perfect result for your favourite horse. For racing enthusiasts, when the best horse is also your favourite it adds an extra element of celebratory joy, but makes defeat harder to bear.

Troy’s winning run came to an end behind Three Troikas. The wonderful Ardross failed in a photo-finish to the unconsidered Akiyda. Mtoto’s late flourish still found Tony Bin a better horse in the autumn than he had been at Ascot in July.

And then there was the time the best horse won but brought no celebration. Dancing Brave, neck stretched, ears back, parrot mouth, was one of the few top horses that was never a personal favourite, but after the “here comes Dancing Brave” swoop there was nothing left but to grudgingly acknowledge that he was indeed a very great horse, even if his appearance didn’t please.

Slowly then the Arc moved into synch with the rest of the season and we had the unbeaten Lammtara’s fight to the finish, the perfect Peintre Celebre, a mighty Suave Dancer and Montjeu, majestic in pulling victory from defeat in cutting back El Condor Pasa.

The star performers, Sinndar, Dalakhani, Hurricane Run, Dylan Thomas led to two of the best with Sea The Stars “perfection in equine form”, completing his march through six Group 1 races of the season from May to October. Just a moment’s worry, then a gap and then a streak of yellow racing clear. The irrepressible Zarkava who showed an almost Bowe-like shimmy down the sprint track before weaving her way through the field, with a “did you doubt me?” swagger.

Then there was even delight when the best horse didn’t win and a 40/1 each-way punt on soft ground loving Solemnia looked booked for a pleasing second place until Orfevre threw it all away.

An ‘OMG she’s going to win’, moment to savour. The unfortunate Japanese again endured the reverse of OMG.

This year brings a typically fascinating renewal. An unprecedented occasion of history beckons if Treve repeats her Vermeille run.

After three Derby winners had followed up since 2000, Golden Horn - so impressive at Epsom and the best of a group of high class three-year-olds in the class of 2015, has the ground in his favour and the French Derby winner New Bay to back him up. The latter may still have a bit to find even on his French Derby defeat of Highland Reel.

Golden Horn’s draw is not ideal and Frankie will have to go forward from 16. His Derby winning run on decent ground still looks very impressive.

The trained-to-the-minute Free Eagle has been targeted at this all season and did not look beaten when he got rammed by Golden Horn at Leopardstown and the mile and a half might be ideal at this stage of his career. Found, representing that once Arc-favoured contender, the improving three-year-old filly seems to have been foiled by the wide draw.

The Aga Khan’s older filly Dolniya looked a monster in Meydan in March but has a bit to do to recapture that form though she might have been inconvenienced by softer ground through the middle of the season. Stall 13 is not ideal, but she has Cristophe Soumillon’s Longchamp mastery at the helm. At 33/1 on her favoured ground, she might be worth a speculative few euros.