Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Group 1)

FIRST of all, let’s take a moment to wallow in the dazzling brilliance of an exceptional horse.

Ace Impact won last Sunday’s Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with such style and panache that supporters of each and every one of his 14 rivals surely had no other realistic reaction but to acknowledge that they had come across a superior opponent.

Rarely are the sport’s biggest races so clean, so devoid of hard luck stories, so comprehensive. A year on from one of the great shows of sportsmanship, as Jean-Claude Rouget wept tears not of sorrow, at the narrowness of Vadeni’s Arc defeat, but of pure joy for his venerated colleague and conqueror, Sir Mark Prescott, this time the popular Pau and Deauville-based trainer was much more controlled in his richly-deserved moment of triumph.

Yet there was sorrow in this result. Ace Impact may be the winner’s name, but his impact on the global racing scene and casual sports fans is set to be so much less than ‘Ace’, much less than should be the case for a genuine champion.

Nobody, me included, had even heard of him prior to his startling Prix du Jockey Club success in June. Now, just two starts later, one of them when half-fit against inferior competition in the Group 2 Guillaume d’Ornano, there is every chance that he will be rushed off to stud.

There are financial imperatives at work here, ones which are understandable without being easy to swallow. After the Jockey Club, a 50% share in Ace Impact was sold to the Chehboub family’s Gousserie Racing operation for a mighty big sum which reports suggest may have been €6 million.

Part of the deal was that, upon retirement, Ace Impact would become one of the foundation stallions at the Chebhoubs’ Haras de Beaumont in Normandy.

Given the scale of his investment, it is no surprise that Kamel Chehboub has suggested that he is disinclined to allow his superstar to race on as a four-year-old, though a firm decision is unlikely to be made for a couple of weeks.

Lustre

As much as we would all like to see Ace Impact again in 2024, from a commercial point of view, retirement is much the safest option. That way there is no danger of the lustre of his unbeaten record being tarnished.

And, don’t forget, his pedigree is nothing special. He is much the best member of the first crop of the Dalham Hall Stud stallion Cracksman, who has so far produced just one other pattern winner, and that came in Italy, where the standard of the best races continues to plummet.

He cost only €60,000 at Arqana as a yearling and lacks big names on the dam’s side of his bloodlines: his original owner (now part-owner), Serge Stempniak, was drawn to him because he already had a half-share in his 2018-born half-brother Alessandro, who had begun his career with a win and three second places and would later be placed in listed company.

Remarkably, just half an hour after Ace Impact’s Longchamp glory, while Stempniak was enjoying the traditional carriage ride down the course that is part of the presentation ceremony, big brother Alessandro was winning for a fifth time for him down in Agen, some 400 miles away in south west France, taking his lifetime earnings beyond the €100,000 mark.

Cashing in

So who can blame the Chehboubs for cashing in, ensuring that Ace Impact will have a full book of mares at what is sure to be a high enough early covering fee, for four seasons at least while his racecourse mastery remains fresh in the memory and before we get a chance to assess his offspring on the track?

Chehboub senior did have one bit of better news for those of us gagging for more from his monstrously talented colt. Prompted by the opinion of his rider, Cristian Demuro, that the race would suit him, a potential farewell appearance in the Japan Cup at Tokyo Racecourse on November 26th is apparently under consideration.

So a mouth-watering heavyweight clash between Ace Impact and the top local horse, Equinox, to decide once-and-for-all who should be regarded as the world’s top thoroughbred is not out of the question.

Back to last Sunday and, although utterly thrilling in its conclusion, the Arc was simply a case of ‘cut and paste’ from Ace Impact’s Jockey Club victory.

Fears that the race would be blighted by a false pace proved unfounded, the German outsider Mr Hollywood manfully taking up the task of setting a reasonable tempo with Hukum doing well to get across from his outside draw to sit second and Westover, who was drawn one, able to gain a handy position behind the leaders against the inside rail.

Sitting ducks

Hukum had a brief moment in the lead early in the home straight, only to be passed by his old King George rival, Westover, soon after. As it transpired, they were both sitting ducks for Ace Impact, who, just like in that Chantily Classic, played up in the paddock beforehand but calmed down considerably on the way to the start, then loitered towards the rear before unleashing an astonishing burst of speed to score, this time by a length and three-quarters.

Westover clung on for second, meaning that he has finished in the bridesmaid’s spot on no less than four occasions in Group 1s this term, thankfully at least enjoying a little respite when landing the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Onesto stormed home from the back of the field to be just a short head away in third, leaving his modest seventh of eight in the Irish Champion Stakes just three weeks earlier well behind, while another fast-finisher, the Japanese mare Through Seven Seas, took fourth, a length and a quarter back, just a neck in front of Aidan O’Brien’s gallant St Leger winner, Continuous.

There was then a two and a half-length break to Bay Bridge, who just prevailed in a tight finish for sixth, narrowly ahead of Sisfahan, Feed The Flame, Hukum, Simca Mille and Fantastic Flame.

Frankel

It was a red-letter result for Frankel as he is not only the grandsire of the winner but also the sire of the next two home.

Rouget said: “He won as he does usually, with the same tactics. He’s an extraordinary horse and he’s left us speechless.

“He had a clean race and his ground-devouring stride did the rest. He’s simply extraordinary, although he’s also a very sensitive type.

“The biggest winner today is a man that dares, Kamel Chehboub, who dared to buy half of Ace Impact, even though he doesn’t have a classic pedigree, as well as [Saturday’s Group 2 winner] Horizon Dore. He has the two best three-year-old colts in France!”

Demuro reported: “The horse was very relaxed and I know, when he’s like that, as soon as you press the button he just takes off!”

Stempniak reacted: “He was really impressive and I think he’s a very intelligent colt. Yes, he gets wound up, but it’s because he knows he has a job to do, and he does it very well!”

Ralph Beckett was magnanimous in defeat and said: “I think we were just beaten by a better horse, Westover would never have finished ahead of Ace Impact. But he’ll win a big race one day.

Tempting

“The Breeders’ Cup Turf is very tempting now but it’s shaping up into the best Turf ever.”

Fabrice Chappet, trainer of Onesto, said: “The Irish Champion Stakes was a complete non-event, apart from that, Onesto has always run up to his best. The logical next step is the Breeders’ Cup Turf.”

Aidan O’Brien added: “We’re really pleased with Continuous, who was doing his best work in the straight. He enjoyed the fast ground and could now go to the Japan Cup. Hong Kong and Dubai are also possibilities as he likes travelling and should progress further as a four-year-old.”