Best Horseracing Card of the Year on Sunday

Longchamps.

3.25 Prix De L'Arc
With the defection of Snow Fairy, Nathaniel and Danedream (last year's winner) it seemed that the Arc had lost some magic. Not a bit of it! ORFEVRE won the Japanese Triple Crown this year, and took the Prix Foy, a recognised Arc trial three weeks ago. Christophe Soumillon rides, and this horse will go close. But the real magic has been injected by the decision to award Frankie Dettori the ride on CAMELOT (winner of the 2,000 Guines, English and Irish Derby's). Disappointing in the St Leger, but must surely be expected to return to his brilliant best, given that the Ballydoyle team have given him the green light to run. I'd take these two against the field, but should they not run to their best, young Joseph O'Brien (can't do the weight on Camelot) may pick up the pieces on St Nicholas Abbey.

12.55 Prix De L'Abbaye
Has turned up some long priced winners in recent times (Barnsley-born Bryan Smart trained the winner Tangerine Trees last year). However, this year I think two stand out on form, namely SOLE POWER and MAYSON. The former won pulling a cart (not Orsen's) at Doncaster, while Mayson won the July Cup and will not mind if the going is soft.

1.30 Prix Marcel Boussac
I have to put in SKY LANTERN for Richard Hannon and (Champion Jockey elect) Richard Hughes here. Their filly won the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh last time, and I think she won't be beat here.

2.05 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium)
Hughes and Hannon have the aptly-named OLYMPIC GLORY here. You'd have to respect Aidan's George Vancouver, but the Hannon colt is a dual Group 2winner, and looks ready for the step up to a Group 1 contest.

Split stakes where two are mentioned above - good luck to all.

 

You'll not get much splitting the stakes on those first two races, the two you've put up head in the betting in both!

In the Arc, the Japanese horse is drawn 18 - and no horse has won form the outside draw since Adam was a lad. I can't have Camelot either; the three year olds this year are pish. The ground will be riding pretty soft, and last time out on soft he only just beat Born To Sea in the Irish Derby. I'll be doing SHARETA (9/1 with Paddy Power). Second in the race last year when she was ridden as a pacemaker and in good form having already won the Yorkshire Oaks and her prep race last month.

I've backed Mayson mind. Will love the soft ground, and hopefully will make all as front runners traditionally do well in the race.

Good luck.

 

1:30 Sky Lantern is out, so PURR ALONG is a fairly confident call.

Fonzie: point taken about the first two races. I'd taken better prices a good while before I posted. The call - always - is whether the combined odds exceed the percentage price, which is of course a judgement call.

In the Prix De L'Opera I very much like John Gosden's IZZI TOP, who shouldn't be beholding to the ground.

 

Champions day with frankel. The arc is underwhelming this year.

 

Know where you're coming from Ryhill, with Snow Fairy, Danedream and Nathaniel out. But it's fascinating to see whether Camelot can recapture his best - like Alleged did in 1977 after finishing second at Doncaster - and the fact that Frankie gets the mount is just - whoosh! Add to that another mighty Japanese challenger (Lady Kaht and I were at Longchamps in 2006 when Deep Impact came over and the Japs went ballistic on track backing it) in Ofevre. Then, check out the story of Saonois - owned by the 34 year old village baker who struck gold! It's a bloody great renewal of the Arc. Blimey, young Joseph might even win it on St Nicholas Abbey, capping the most prolific (if most short-lived) jockey career of modern times in Europe.

All in all, I can't really call it underwhelming - it's fantastic!

 

Gone £5 e/w double on Sea Moon and Mayson at 10/1 &13/2.