Aidan O’Brien’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe team was whittled down to three at the seven-day confirmation stage for France’s big autumn Group 1, yet the pick of his trio was not entirely locked in.
Diamond Necklace, Minnie Hauk and Benvenuto Cellini are the three, unless it rains a lot. The going at the track on Monday registered as unseasonably ‘good’, due to there being no rain at Longchamp since September 8. That would be ideal, but the long range projection is good to soft going by Sunday.
O’Brien wouldn’t want it any softer than that: it would likely see his top candidate Diamond Necklace rerouted to the fillies and mares-only G1 Prix de l’Opera at 2000 metres on the same day. There’s the Breeders’ Cup up ahead to consider as well, after all.
With his team under a cloud through late August and much of September – talk of a low grade virus – all three of his hopes go to Paris off defeats: in the cases of Diamond Necklace and Benvenuto Cellini, unexpected reversals. Confidence outside of Ballydoyle feels muted.
Diamond Necklace, O’Brien’s G1 Prix de Diane heroine, would have been vying with last year’s winner Daryz for Arc favouritism had she not lost her unbeaten status in the G1 Prix Jean et Louis Romanet at Deauville. Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini was a moderate fifth at odds-on in his Arc trial, the G2 Prix Niel.
“Diamond Necklace has an option of going to the fillies’ race on the same day, but at the moment, we’re looking at going with the three,” O’Brien said during a France-Galop organised press conference on Monday.
Stepping into the unknown over a mile and a half is a factor to the uncertainty about Diamond Necklace, and O’Brien said he underestimated the effects of her wins at Goodwood, and the Deauville test against Aventure, misjudging both the softer going in France and the form of the Christophe Ferland-trained mare.
“I was kind of just looking for a race that would fill in between this weekend and that weekend, and I didn’t really want to go a mile and a half with her,” O’Brien explained, “We were afraid if we did it in the Vermeille, we might harm her for the Arc. So we just thought we’d be safer to keep her at a mile and a quarter for a trial and obviously we misjudged it a little bit.
“We would hope that it would be nice ground for ‘Diamond’ going a mile and a half for the first time, so we’re going to get closer to the weekend before making a final decision,” he continued.
Which of the Arc horses Ryan Moore will ride is also up in the air, with Christophe Soumillon lined up to take the second pick, and Pierre-Charles Boudot in the frame for the other.
“Ryan has the choice of the three, so I’m not sure, but I would probably think (Diamond Necklace) would be,” O’Brien said.
But the Arc has never been an easy task for anyone, and O’Brien’s two wins, it should be remembered, were achieved by the market third picks Dylan Thomas at 11/2 and Found at 6/1, both rated behind short-priced favourites. O’Brien’s own race favourites for the Arc have included High Chaparral, third at odds of 13/8 and 11/5 in consecutive years, Camelot, only seventh at 2/1, and Minnie Hauk, runner-up last year at 7/2.
At the start of this year, Minnie Hauk was O’Brien’s obvious older horse for the race, following her narrow second to Daryz in last year’s contest. But she has lost her last four races.
“Niggly trouble with corns in her feet,” was O’Brien’s explanation. “But she is in good form,” he added, “The Arc was always the plan. So, we were never going to see the best of her until the Arc … the plan was always not to have her peaking until the Arc.”
Any horse with designs on victory must be at their peak, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is never won by fluke. That being so, the weight of O’Brien’s hopes rest on Diamond Necklace, if she runs.
This Week In Horse Racing History
Frankie Dettori rode his ‘Magnificent Seven’ winners at Ascot, England on September 28, 1996. His winners were Wall Street, Diffident, Mark Of Esteem, Decorated Hero, Fatefully, Lochangel and Fujiyama Crest. The feat made the Italian a household name in Britain.
Go back to September 30, 1898 and the American jockey Tod Sloan won five consecutive races at Newmarket, England.
It was on October 3, 1993 that Urban Sea caused a shock, winning the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, Paris at odds of 37/1. The four-year-old filly had shown high-class ability the previous year when sixth in the G1 Prix de Diane, but had never scored above Group 3 level, as she did when winning her lead-up race, the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron. Urban Sea went on to become one of the greatest broodmares of modern times, producing the great stallion Galileo, as well the brilliant Arc winner and stallion Sea The Stars, and fellow G1 winners Black Sam Bellamy and My Typhoon, plus the classic-placed Melikah, All Too Beautiful and Born To Sea.
The great Secretariat, the 1973 US Triple Crown hero, died on October 4, 1989 at Claiborne Farms, Kentucky. The 19-year-old stallion was euthanized due to severe laminitis.
Global Blackbook
The old saying goes that “a good big ‘un will always beat a good little ‘un” but Marialite’s daughter Diana Maria will be aiming to prove that all wrong as she progresses from a positive newcomer win at Nakayama last weekend.
Marialite is famous for causing a big upset in the 2016 G1 Takarazuka Kinen. The mare showed an iron resolve to drive in between the two megastars, Kitasan Black and Duramente, and win the grand prix at odds of 24/1. As an interesting aside, Marialite’s victory is documented in the Umamusume universe, but due to licensing issues over the use of her name, the character is called River Light.
Diana Maria appears to have some of her mother’s ability and toughness if her debut win over 2000m is anything to go by. The little Maurice filly hugged the rail under Christophe Lemaire until switched out entering the home straight, and battled gamely to defeat the colt Suave Basileus, a son of Kitasan Black, no less. The pair drew seven lengths clear of the third.
The two-year-old’s pedigree and her willing attitude might be enough to make up for her lack of size, but either way, it was a good enough debut to suggest a good future.
What’s Coming Up?
Turnbull Stakes Day
Flemington, Australia, October 3
Sir Delius is the likely favourite for the 2000m feature, a race he won last year. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained five-year-old was fourth first-up in the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes over an inadequate mile and is expected to have come on for that run as he continues towards his big spring target, the G1 Cox Plate. He could face strong opposition from the top-class mare Aeliana, recent G1 Underwood winner Birdman and Autumn Boy, all from the Chris Waller stable, as well as the Western Australian raider Cosmic Crusader and G1 Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours.
Sun Chariot Stakes Day
Newmarket, England, October 3
The brilliant Blue Bolt will attempt to maintain her perfect record this season in the G1 Sun Chariot stakes over a mile. Andrew Balding’s Juddmonte homebred is five from five for the campaign so far. She looks set to face City Of Memphis, second to her in the G1 Matron Stakes at Leopardstown, as well as Precise, second to her in the G1 Prix Rothschild and G1 Falmouth Stakes earlier this year. The field could also feature Fallen Angel who has not won since she had Blue Bolt behind her in second in this race last year, but the Karl Burke-trained mare kept on bravely when third in the Matron last time.
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
ParisLongchamp, France, October 4
Last year’s winner Daryz is the likely favourite to repeat in France’s great autumn contest, the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at a mile and a half. But trainer William Haggas is somewhat confident about his talented three-year-old Maltese Cross, and the Balding stable has the King George winner Kalpana, who showed she was in great form when winning the Yorkshire Oaks last time. Japan has two contenders, the two-time G1 Takarazuka Kinen winner Meisho Tabaru and the less-regarded Admire Terra. If the rain stays away, Meisho Tabaru should not be discounted, though the track has been watered so expect the going to be good to soft at quickest. ∎
