AUTUMN has arrived with a vengeance in the Paris region over the past few days and the ground is set to be properly testing for the last two recognised Arc trials, the Prix du Prince d’Orange and La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte – a pair of Group 3 mile and a quarter events run at Maisons-Laffitte this afternoon.
Chantilly can dry out quite quickly, but maybe not this late in the year, so connections of horses favouring fast conditions in France’s greatest race are already looking nervous.
The Prince d’Orange can have an impact on the Arc – most recently in 2013 when Intello won it before finishing third to Treve – and the standout horse among this year’s field of six three-year-olds is the Whipper colt, Recoletos.
Trained by Carlos Laffon-Parias, Recoletos was a strongly-fancied second favourite for the Prix du Jockey-Club back in early June and looked the most likely winner of that Chantilly classic passing the furlong marker only to be caught by both Brametot and Waldgeist in the last 50 yards.
He then had a summer break and showed rustiness in abundance when a distant seventh to Eminence on his comeback in mid-August. That was on fast ground, but he twice impressed on a testing surface – including when registering an easy victory in the Group 2 Prix Greffulhe – back in the spring, so the prevailing conditions should suit just fine.
BOOST
That Greffulhe form received a boost just a couple of days ago when the third, Akihiro, slopped through the mud to hold off the German raider, Instigator, in the Listed Prix Turenne at Saint-Cloud.
An unbeaten Group 3 winner last term, this son of Deep Impact is finally beginning to fulfil that promise, although his entry in the Arc is likely to be ignored in favour of the Group 2 Prix du Conseil de Paris two weeks later.
In contrast to Recoletos, rain-soaked turf may not be ideal for two of his chief Prince d’Orange rivals: Afandem and Bay Of Poets. So the one to give him most to do could be Plumatic, who is inexperienced and has not run since trailing home in last in the Jockey-Club. The fact that his trainer, the maestro Andre Fabre, deemed him worthy of a classic start means that he must possess plenty of ability.
LA COUPE
La Coupe de Maisons-Laffitte also has a six-strong line-up and looks to rest between One Foot In Heaven and Garlingari.
This pair have met three times before, with the score currently two to one in One Foot In Heaven’s favour, although plenty of water has flowed under the bridge since they filled the first two places in last June’s Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly.
Whereas Garlingari is now winless in the past 17 months and beat just two in his latest start, in the Grand Prix de Deauville, One Foot In Heaven was in fine form late last year, finishing a highly creditable sixth in the Arc, winning the aforementioned Conseil de Paris and ending up with an excellent third in Hong Kong.
A soft ground lover, One Foot In Heaven might be worth another speculative tilt at the Arc, but to merit such an assignment he will need to win this on his first start since finishing second in the Jockey Club Stakes at Newmarket more than four months ago.