TED WALSH
(Trainer/TV analyst)
What is your earliest memory of the Prix de l’Arc?
I went to see Sea Bird win in 1965 after he had won the Epsom Derby. I grew up with Arkle and Flying Bolt in the jumping but Sea Bird was my barometer on the flat and I don’t think I ever quite saw anything like him again.
Your standout memory?
Sea Bird is the one I compare with all else. There was never quite the dominance from any other winner and he was the best I saw. The next best is Sea The Stars and Mick Kinane winning. I love to see the Irish horses win. When Dylan Thomas won it was a great occasion and when John Oxx won his first one with Johnny Murtagh with Sinndar in 2000 was a great occasion as well.
One in particular that stood out early for me in my life was Levmoss in 1969 because I knew the McGraths well and they did so much for Irish racing. It was amazing that an Ascot Gold Cup horse would win the Arc. Lester Piggott winning on Alleged twice for Vincent O’Brien were two savage memories as well.
Why is the Arc so special?
Most mile-and-a-half races now have a bit of a slur on them for stud purposes because they think the horse, to get a mile-and-a-half, is gonna be too slow as a stallion. But this race has stood the test of time. It’s the right time of the year for the three-year-olds, who are mature. It’s a good time to meet the four-year-olds. It’s a great race for fillies too in the time of year. It fits everything perfectly, when they all clash together.
It has been won by some horses that weren’t maybe super but fired on the day. Losing doesn’t take from a horse’s career as he can be gone at the end of a long season like Nashwan, Sir Ivor and all them but it can really be the crowning moment for a horse.
Sea Bird was a brilliant Derby winner but he crowned it by winning the Arc as well as he did. Sea The Stars was a great three-year-old but to win the Arc, in the manner he won it, helped by a ballsy ride by Mick Kinane up the inside, elevated him to a different level. It’s like being a great runner and then winning the Olympic medal. A golfer winning the Masters. It’s the pinnacle.
Is Treve a certainty or could Golden Horn beat her on fast ground?
If it’s soft ground it’s a one-horse race and if it’s quick ground, anything could happen. Treve would be very vulnerable on fast ground. Golden Horn would put it up to her and so would New Bay. It would bring plenty horses into play. If it’s soft ground she hoses up. If Treve happened to win a third Arc it would be unbelievable. Only Alleged and Ribot in recent years won two. So that tells you.
JOE FOLEY
(Ballyhane Stud)
What is your earliest memory of the Prix de l’Arc?
I remember the brilliant filly Three Troikas winning for Freddy and Criquette Head in 1979. I thought she was spectacular and that it was a spectacular race then. I’ve been following it ever since. Carroll House giving Mick Kinane his first big international win 10 years later is a subsequent standout memory. It was great to see an Irishman riding a brilliant race. There have been so many brilliant winners over the years.
What makes the race so special?
I suppose it’s the end-of-season finale for those mile-and-two, mile-and-four horses and it’s got the magic of the autumn to go with it. It’s where all the European horses and sometimes the Japanese horses come to meet to fight it out for the championship. There’s a huge tradition in Paris. It has built up a huge following. It’s a magic day of great racing in general.
Who were the best Arc winners in your opinion?
I thought Montjeu was a superstar and was brilliant winning the Arc in 1999. For Sea The Stars to do what he did as a three-year-old, after running all summer in Group 1s, to come out and slug it out from a bad draw was amazing. It was a brilliant ride by Mick Kinane again and a fantastic training effort by John Oxx.
From where she came from to win the Arc, I thought Zarkava was absolutely spectacular. Treve last year was brilliant but I think Zarkava stands out.
How would you compare Treve and Zarkava?
I thought Zarkava was amazing and it was a pity she didn’t stay in racing to do it all over again. That’s why Treve has the superstardom because the owners left her in training and they have been rewarded. In fairness to Zarkava, she had nothing left to prove.
Is Treve a certainty or could Golden Horn beat her on fast ground? Or is there something else?
As the purchaser of Golden Horn’s sister last year as a yearling I will be really hoping Golden Horn does it. I think the good ground that’s currently forecast makes the race more open than it would have been on soft ground. I remember Treve running around on admittedly very firm ground at Royal Ascot last year. She didn’t like it at all and good ground brings Golden Horn into the equation. He’s a very tough horse. It’s a very, very good race.
JOSEPH O’BRIEN
(Jockey)
What is your earliest memory of the Prix de l’Arc?
I watched all the videos from many years, especially with the Galileo connection. So I watched Urban Sea with that in mind.
Your standout memory?
Dylan Thomas is definitely one that stands out in 2007. That was an unbelievable day. The Arc is such a hard race to win. I was around 14 at the time but of course I knew how important it was. The Arc is the Arc. There was a stewards’ inquiry as well which added to the drama. There were some anxious moments but it fell our way. It was an unbelievable day.
Who was the best Arc winner in your opinion?
The one that sticks out for me is Dylan Thomas. He was such a good horse and the circumstances of the win added to that. He travelled so well but to win an Arc you need a good horse, don’t you? There’s no two ways about it. There’s no bad winner.
Is the draw a factor this year?
It can be. Sometimes you have to sit and suffer. You need a lot of luck in that race. That’s the long and short of it.
How would you compare Treve and Zarkava?
It’s hard to compare them. I think Treve has probably been more impressive in what she’s done and continued to do but Zarkava was a machine. They are both very good horses.
Is Treve a certainty or could Golden Horn beat her on fast ground?
There are more than two contenders. Like every year, it’s a competitive race. You need plenty of luck in the race but if she found a bit of luck, and got a good draw Found would be in it with a live shout.
BRIAN
KAVANAGH
(HRI chief executive)
What is your earliest memory of the Prix de l’Arc?
That would be Dancing Brave winning in 1986. He came on the outside and cut down probably one of the strongest Arc fields ever in a scintillating show of speed. He had a number of Group 1 winners inside him and he swept past them. It left a real impression on me and for some time was one of my best memories.
Your standout memory?
This isn’t very original but it’s Sea The Stars for obvious reasons. He was culminating such a fantastic season with six consecutive Group 1 wins throughout Europe. The fact you knew the trainer, you knew the rider, that the horse was born in Kildare and trained in Kildare and the fact that he did it having looked like he was in trouble, that was the standout.
Others that stand out for me were Montjeu in 1999, who finished strongly having looked like he had too much to do, Sinndar the following year winning John Oxx’s first Arc in 2000 and of course Treve winning it for the second time last year and doing it so impressively. Montjeu and Sinndar had both won in the Curragh. I remember Montjeu refused to come through the arches between the pre-parade ring and the parade ring. He was quirky but had that touch of brilliance.
Is Treve a certainty or could Golden Horn beat her on fast ground?
We would all love to see Treve make history but no horse has done it before so while her form is very impressive, it would be wrong to think it’s a done deal. Golden Horn would be a good winner for us as the winner of the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
There are two others I like. Wherever Golden Horn finishes, Free Eagle won’t be too far away and represents tremendous each-way value. New Bay is one to watch out for as well. André Fabre has a great record in the race, having won it seven times and he’s given the horse a traditional French-type preparation for the race in that he’s had a quieter time in the second half of the season having built up strongly in the first part. You can never discount an Aidan O’Brien runner either.
Every year there’s a huge amount of quality and plenty of potential stories and this year is no different.
JOHNNY
MURTAGH
(Trainer)
What is your earliest memory of the Prix de l’Arc?
That is probably when Mick Kinane won on Carroll House. He won the Cartier Million at Phoenix Park on the Saturday and then flew over to win the Arc on the Sunday. That was my first real memory of the race and understanding of how significant and big a race it was.
Your standout memory?
It has to be Sinndar. The Prix de l’Arc is a huge race on the international scene and Sinndar winning it was a huge day for me. He had won the Derby in England and Ireland. Then you take on the best of the rest from Europe and the older horses. There’s no hiding place. It’s the best weight-for-age race in Europe. When you win, you’re the champion.
Who was the best Arc winner in your opinion?
I’m probably going to say Sinndar was the best Arc winner ’cos I rode him myself but watching Treve over the last couple of years, it’s pretty special what she’s doing. If she could do it again a third time, she would probably go down as one of the all-time greats.
How would you compare Treve and Zarkava?
It’s very hard to compare horses. How could you compare them? Any horse that wins the Arc is a special horse. When you’ve won two in a row and you’re going for three, you’re special. To run in the race three times takes a lot of doing, not to mind winning it.
Is Treve a certainty or could Golden Horn beat her on fast ground?
I think she’ll be hard to beat. I don’t think the ground will be fast. I think it will be well watered and if they got a shower of rain then, it would suit her. She’s the one to beat.