ParisLongchamp Sunday

3.05 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1) (3yo+ Colts & Fillies) 1m 4f

Not your typical Arc, with a small field including three Japanese visitors who all look of lesser ability than the likes of Deep Impact, El Condor Pasa or Orfevre, who all came up short in their attempts to give the Land Of The Rising Sun a much sought-after first victory in this Paris showpiece.

Bidding to become the first horse to win this three times, Enable faces just two of her rivals from 12 months ago. They are the fast ground-loving Waldgeist, who has an 0-3 career record against John Gosden’s supermare and probably lost any chance of taking revenge when the recent rain fell, and Aidan O’Brien’s Magical, who has failed to beat her in four attempts, albeit getting close on two occasions.

O’Brien also saddles the three-year-old, Japan, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris over this course and distance in July. But that Group 1 success against his own age group was by just half a length and his subsequent narrow victory against older horses when dropping down to a mile and a quarter in the Juddmonte International has been tarnished by subsequent disappointing displays from the third and fourth.

Apart from Enable, the only other British runner is Ghaiyyath, who was incredibly impressive when landing the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Baden by 14 lengths but is held by Waldgeist on Prix Ganay form and is a fragile sort who may be best when fresh.

Despite her perfect 10-from-10 Group 1 record, four of Enable’s last five wins have been by less than a length.

At very cramped odds she may be worth taking on with the Prix du Jockey-Club winner Sottsass, who proved he stayed this trip when overcoming severe traffic problems in the Prix Niel and, having won four of just six career starts thus far, may end up even better than his half-sister, the six-time US Grade 1 scorer Sistercharlie.

SELECTION: SOTTSASS

Next Best: Enable

1.15 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac (Group 1) (2yo Fillies) 1m

An unusually weak Anglo-Irish challenge for France’s top race for juvenile fillies, with nothing coming over from Britain and Ireland relying on the sixth-placed finisher from the Moyglare Stud Stakes, Albigna.

Trained by Jessica Harrington, Albigna started second favourite for the Moyglare following her triumph in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes, so her finishing position must be viewed as a disappointment.

Harrington has tremendously strong crop of juveniles, so even to justify a trip to Paris one can only imagine that Albigna’s home work remains very good, and a much-improved effort is expected.

That still may not be enough to derail Andre Fabre’s Savarin, a daughter of Deep Impact and the three-time Group 1 winner Sarafina, who ran out the comfortable winner of the Group 3 Prix d’Aumale last time out.

SELECTION: SAVARIN

Next Best: Albigna

1.50 Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere Sponsorise Par Manateq (Group 1) (2yo Colts & Fillies) 1m

Last Saturday’s Middle Park Stakes victory by Earthlight suggested that this year’s French two-year-old colts are a decent bunch.

Earthlight’s trainer, Andre Fabre, has a much talked-about candidate in this eight-runner field in the shape of the unbeaten Victor Ludorum, son of the sire-of-the-moment, Shamardal, and a half-sister to last year’s Irish Oaks third, Mary Tudor.

But preference is for the Carlos Laffon-Parias-trained Ecrivain, another colt yet to taste defeat. He ran out the cosy winner of the Group 3 Prix des Chenes on his latest start and that form has been boosted by the runner-up.

Again no British involvement, but Aidan O’Brien saddles the Group 2 Futurity Stakes scorer, Armory, subsequently left nine lengths in the wake of the awesome Pinatubo in the Group 1 National Stakes. He could achieve another Group 1 placing but will not be the same each-way price as the intriguing German challenger, Alson.

SELECTION: ECRIVAIN

Next Best: Alson

3.55 Prix de l’Opera Longines (Group 1) (3yo+ Fillies) 1m 2f

If Enable’s treble bid does come unstuck, John Gosden and Frankie Dettori should gain a measure of compensation by landing the Prix de l’Opera Longines with Mehdaayih. Hampered on three different occasions when beaten in the Oaks at Epsom, she then won a French Group 2 and would surely have followed up in the Nassau Stakes but for going off a little too fast in front.

The consistent Goddess may prove pick of Aidan O’Brien’s trio but it is Commes, unlucky-in-running in each of her last three starts, including in two classics, who can give Mehdaayih most to do.

SELECTION: MEHDAAYIH

Next Best: Commes

4.30 Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (Group 1) 5f

Four-length winner of this in 2017 then only fourth when hot favourite 12 months later, Battaash may finally be finding consistency at the age of five and should regain his crown, though his chequered career record means that he is a long way from being an odds-on banker.

Invincible Army may offer the best each-way value against him as this combination of five furlongs, soft ground and a flat track could prove perfect for him.

SELECTION: BATTAASH

Next Best: Invincible Army

5.05 Qatar Prix de la Foret (Group 1) 7f

A real seven-furlong specialist, One Master appears to have improved since landing this 12 months ago and looks the best bet on the card. She has just failed to last out the mile in both the Queen Anne Stakes and the Falmouth Stakes and she relishes some cut in the ground.

Speak In Colours and Forever In Dreams, the two Irish hopes, do not look good enough but the German-trained Waldpfad, placed in the Sprint Cup at Haydock last time out, should outrun his odds.

SELECTION: ONE MASTER

Next Best: Waldpfad