The chance that racing history will be made in the 99th Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is, for practical purposes, 50-50, and there are five more Group Ones to look forward to as well on Europe's. About the Racing The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is one of the biggest races in Europe's flat racing calendar and dates back to 1920. The prize money for the main event of the weekend is worth €5,000,000 which makes it the richest race in Europe and the third richest horse race in the world. This weekend of spectacular racing includes several Group 1 races and four Group 2 classed races. 1965 Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe (LS) race results, race date, entries, field, video, contenders, probables, news, notes, & comments.
Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe looks set to take place on testing ground after Longchamp was hit by 19mm of rain over the weekend, leaving the going as ‘very soft'. With the prospect of further rain on the cards, Timeform's Andrew Asquith assesses the leading contenders and how testing ground impacts their chance.
Love (Aidan O'Brien)
Love has carried all before her this season, progressing from a useful juvenile into a high-class performer, winning all three starts at Group 1 level by wide margins. She won the 1000 Guineas on her reappearance but has taken her form to even greater heights since being stepped up to a mile and a half, producing one of the best performances in the race this century when winning the Oaks at Epsom, relishing the extra emphasis on stamina.
Love had been ante-post favourite but has been replaced at the top of the betting by Enable due to concerns over the going. Love hasn't had many opportunities to race on testing ground, but she is a fluent mover and has been beaten both times she encountered ground Timeform believes was on the soft side. In her favour is that stamina has appeared a strong suit, while her full-sister Flattering won a heavy-ground maiden by 10 lengths.
She's just a love machine!
Love takes the Darley Yorkshire Oaks at @yorkracecourse
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Enable (John Gosden)
Enable has won 15 of her 18 starts and is bidding to become the first horse to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe three times. The rain which has fallen doesn't offer a new challenge for Enable, who proved herself on soft ground when winning the King George at Ascot in 2017, and also won with cut in the ground when landing the Yorkshire Oaks and her first Arc later that season.
Enable was beaten by a strong stayer when runner-up in last year's Arc, but she arguably hit the front too soon that day, and softening conditions won't be much of an issue for her.
Stradivarius (John Gosden)
Stradivarius has proved himself the best stayer around over the last three years, completing a hat-trick of Gold Cups at Royal Ascot in June. He didn't have to be at his best to win the Goodwood Cup (for the fourth successive year) on his next start, but the manner of his victory was impressive, showing a sharp turn of foot to quicken into the lead in the final 100 yards.
He shouldn't be judged too harshly on his subsequent run in the Prix Foy when beaten a short neck in second by Anthony Van Dyck. That race was run at a dawdle – around 10 seconds slower to the 1000m-to-go marker than the Grand Prix de Paris and around seven seconds slower than the Vermeille – on ground that Timeform described as good to firm. Stradivarius found the emphasis on speed too much on that occasion, but is expected to be seen in a different light in the Arc, which is usually run at a good tempo and will pose a stiff test of stamina on soft ground. He put up his best effort on Timeform ratings when winning the Gold Cup on soft ground this year.
Will Stradivarius provide Olivier Peslier with a fifth success in the Arc next weekend? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read what the jockey has to say about being snapped up to ride the star stayer against Enable and Love 👇
Prix De Larc De Triomphe 2020 Date
Raabihah (Jean-Claude Rouget)
Raabihah has quickly developed into a smart performer this year, winning her first two starts before finishing a close-up fourth to Fancy Blue in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly in July. That form is working out well, with the winner successful in the Nassau Stakes on her next start, and the runner-up Alpine Star finding only Palace Pier too strong in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.
Raabihah landed the odds in good style on her next start in a Group 3 at Deauville and wasn't suited by the way the race developed in the Prix Vermeille last time, leaving the impression she would have benefited from a stronger gallop. The ground is something of an unknown, given that Raabihah has yet to encounter a surface described by Timeform as any easier than good.
Sottsass (Jean-Claude Rouget)
Sottsass was one of the best middle-distance colts in Europe last year, winning the Prix du Jockey club and proving better than ever when finishing third to Waldgeist in this race last year. He left the impression that the softer ground blunted his speed on that occasion, but he still saw the race out well, and his campaign this year has been seemingly geared around the Arc.
He stripped fitter for his reappearance when winning the Prix Ganay at Chantilly and wasn't disgraced when attempting to concede at least 7 lb to his rivals in a heavy-ground Group 3 on his next start. Sottsass ran a race full of promise in the Irish Champion Stakes last time, leaving the impression he is ready for a return to a mile and a half, and, for all his turn of foot may be seen to better effect on good ground, he clearly acts on soft/heavy ground.
Super winner – Sottsass wins the Group 1 QIPCO Prix du Jockey Club at @fgchantilly … pic.twitter.com/Nypxo2E2ai
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 2, 2019Mogul (Aidan O'Brien)
A full-brother to Japan – who finished fourth in this race last year – Mogul was always fancied to progress further as a three-year-old following a good juvenile campaign. He started the campaign in anti-climactic fashion, though, as he was turned over at odds-on at Royal Ascot and was only sixth in the Derby at Epsom.
However, he shaped better than the result at Epsom, and duly put it all together in the Gordon Stakes at Goodwood, taking a while to knuckle down but showing a good attitude to prevail. Mogul had no excuses when below form in the Great Voltigeur, but quickly bounced back to form when winning the Grand Prix de Paris last time, showing more speed than has previously been the case to brush his rivals aside.
Prix De L'arc De Triomphe Horse Race
The only time Mogul has run on soft ground was on his debut where he was far from knocked about, so his effectiveness remains inconclusive. His other brother Sir Isaac Newton was also beaten on soft ground, but Mogul's sister, Secret Gesture, hacked up by 10 lengths on heavy ground in the Oaks Trial at Lingfield. A well-made, powerful type, whose brother Japan handled similar conditions last year, there is every chance Mogul will handle the forecast ground.
