The Road to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe 2014

Euronymous said:
I don't agree that ROTW is only an average Derby winner. His run in the Champion Stakes was nudging 130. That said I would prefer Flintshire on Sunday if the ground is quick. The only time Fabre had a Niel runner primed for that gig was when Subotica beat Pistolet Bleu and Arcangues the year he wasn't in the big one.
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i always said on here that ROTW's Derby wasn't strong from a couple of hour after it were run....it now looks dog pooh..and was imo... although others were raving about him at the time..but he has progressed and the Champion form was ok..he just doesn't grab my imagination at all...to be fair Flintshire ran better than him in a race that suited ROTW..who got a canny ride..won't get same here i wouldn't imagine.

not for me
 
runners + draw
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Right here we go.

Winner - Ectot
2nd - Avenir Certain
3rd - Harp Star

One who could run well at a price - Prince Gibraltar.
Think he has got his own way of doing things. But do think he has ability. Is going to have to step up to figure but I think he may run well.
 
Have done Chicquita at huge odds, but draw and jockey a negative. Since added Dolniya each way and exceptionally may go for free port lux - been fascinated by that Gailo Chop form line this yr.
Suspect a JP horse might win. If you backed one, I'm sure you have every confidence in your jockey....
 
My take on the race is that Ectot hits the front goes short in running -and may or may not win.I like Chiquita at long odds-she might be a bet to best best of the Ballydoyle horses.
Free Port Lux is a horse that I have kept an eye on all year.
 
taghrooda has become very easy to back at 7/1 and i will be doing so. expect i'll get bigger in the morning.
 
If Ruler Of The World can repeat his Champion Stakes run of last year he has to be thereabouts. To be fair to him he looked like his brain was cooked at Curragh Irish Derby but has run some really decent races since.
Were he to win I doubt there would be a repeat of the "least but not last " comment by Mr Magnier that was given post Scorpion St Leger.
 
JamesRB said:
taghrooda has become very easy to back at 7/1 and i will be doing so. expect i'll get bigger in the morning.
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"I've been here (Shadwell) 28 years now and Salsabil is the only other filly of that class we've had. She might have had a bit more speed than Taghrooda, but I'm not sure she had much more class. (Angus Gold)
Sincerely doubt she'll have the speed for this, unless it becomes altogether attritional.

I'm in the Ryan Moore camp;
"I genuinely went through the field and came up with a shortlist of 10, maybe more, and even then it wouldn't be the greatest shock in the world if the winner wasn't among them"..
 
Only looked at the race for the first time this morning.

Was there ever a more open looking Arc? 7/1 the field? 1/4 odds four places? It's a brilliant betting race whatever you fancy and if you can get an edge on the PMU it could be even better.

There is no standout candidate so I've gone for one safe(ish) bet and one speculative one.

The safe(ish) bet is Taghrooda. She did seem to run her race at York (just as some people argue that Brigadier Gerard ran his there) but Gosden has since stated she was coming into season heavily after the race. I think if there were any issues with her coming into this race she wouldn't be here and Gosden has an embarrassment of riches with his staying fillies. I reckon the 8/1 is more than fair.

I was seriously tempted to keep the faith with Treve but chickened out. Instead, I've taken 40/1 ew about Chicquita. Coolmore bought her after she won the Irish Oaks last year for Alain De Royer Dupre, at which point she was on a steep curve and only 16/1 for the Arc. It looks like she has been trained all year for this one. I've read plenty about how O'Brien doesn't know how to prep them for this race but his approach looks different now with Chicquita and Ruler Of The World (which I think might be worth a wee saver too but I haven't decided yet) who landed the Foy on only his second run of the year and his first since the Dubai World Cup. These two will be as fresh as anything. I don't imagine Coolmore would have instructed young Jophis not to ride whatever was the outfit's main hope so I hope I'm right in assuming he had the pick and opted for Chicquita.

I'd love to see Kingston Hill run a big race too. Same goes for all the Japanese and Treve. But you can't back them all - it isn't the Grand National...
 
If Tapestry was an Arc winner waiting to happen, I could get down from my weight to make it with a pound or two to spare.
 
he had plenty of horse but probably had to go when the gaps came..probably hit front too soon..but thats the nature of the race..better go too soon than get blocked and not place..i'm happy enough with that..poor angle for us watching there isn't it inside the last furlong?..you ain't got a clue whats happening last 20 yards
 
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