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.