by Mike Curry
This year’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) has not lacked intriguing story lines, but the main character leading up to Sunday’s race has undoubtedly been dual English classic winner Sea The Stars.
Considered by many to be the most talented horse in training worldwide, Sea The Stars can cap a remarkable season with his sixth Group 1 victory in as many starts in France’s signature race. With dry weather leading up to the 2,400-meter (11.93-furlong) race, the three-year-old Cape Cross (Ire) colt should get the good to firm ground trainer John Oxx wanted. Sea The Stars drew post six for the Arc and is expected to be the overwhelming favorite.
Sea The Stars opened the year with victories in the Stanjames.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) and Investec Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) and handled older opponents in three subsequent Group 1 victories. He defeated Irish classic winner Fame And Glory convincingly in his previous start, a 2 1/2-length score in the 1 1/4-mile Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-G1) on September 5 at Leopardstown.
"I think Fame And Glory is the biggest danger on the form and will stay the mile and half well. We think our fellow will stay the distance well also, but he has only won over it once,” Oxx told England’s Press Association. “But that will be what they are thinking—that Fame And Glory could be more of a danger to him over a mile and a half.
"Our fellow has too much speed for him over a mile and a quarter. I suppose they'll try and make it a fast pace again and test the stamina to the limit.”
Fame And Glory tops a trio of contenders from the Ballydoyle yard of trainer Aidan O’Brien. The three-year-old Montjeu (Ire) colt was given a freshening after winning the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-G1) in June and returned with a runner-up finish in the Irish Champion Stakes, a race O’Brien believes will set him up for a strong performance in the Arc.
“He had a big long break after the Irish Derby and we were sorry the clash with Sea The Stars didn’t materialize in that race,” O’Brien said. “We were delighted with him because when you see a horse that gets a mile and a half like him, yet can quicken up as he did in the Champion Stakes, then you’d have to be really happy and looking forward to his next run.
“The good thing in the Champion is that Mick [Kinane on Sea The Stars] didn’t lock horns with him early and so he didn’t get hammered in the straight. If he had then he could have gone backwards not forward after the race. But as it is, we’re really looking forward to the clash on Sunday.”
The Arc de Triomphe also will feature a rematch between Dar Re Mi and Stacelita, the two central figures involved in the controversial disqualification by stewards in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (Fr-G1) on September 13.
Stacelita rallied on the inside of her pacesetting stablemate in the Prix Vermeille and Dar Re Mi followed through the same opening, forcing Soberania into close quarters along the rail before powering past Stacelita to prevail.
Dar Re Mi subsequently was disqualified by the Longchamp stewards and placed fifth behind Soberania. The decision was upheld on appeal, keeping Prix de Diane (Fr-G1) (French Oaks) winner Stacelita’s unbeaten record intact.
Dar Re Mi’s trainer John Gosden expressed his displeasure with the disqualification as well as the decision to uphold her demotion upon appeal, but Gosden has focused on the race at hand in the days leading up to the Arc.
“She is capable of coming from off the pace and she is capable of making her own running—she has done it all,” Gosden said of Dar Re Mi. “She is versatile on any ground. She is taking on the colts and we have to be realistic that we have previously been racing in fillies’ Group 1s.”
Among the many other story lines for this year’s Arc are Youmzain’s quest for a victory in the prestigious race after runner-up finishes in 2007 and ’08, Tullamore representing the first Czech runner in the Arc de Triomphe, and Russian star jockey Magomet Kappushev traveling to France to ride The Bogberry for Russian Jockey Club Chairman Sergey Efros.
But the depth and talent of this field figures to provide Sea The Stars with a formidable challenge with talents such as French classic winner Vision d’Etat, 2008 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner and U.S. champion turf male Conduit (Ire), and Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Fr-G1) winner Cavalryman seemingly flying under the radar.
Conduit’s trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, acknowledged his runner will need to be at his very best to challenge for the victory on Sunday.
“We’re very pleased with his preparation and he’s in good form but this is a high-class Arc,” Stoute said. “We’re very happy with him and hope he puts his best foot forward. Whatever the ground, that shouldn’t be a problem and we will hope for the best.”
Others, such as Vision d’Etat’s trainer Eric Libaud, are hoping for intervention from Mother Nature to slow down Sea The Stars.
“I wish everybody was going on the course to sing for rain!” Libaud said after the post-position draw.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor