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I backed Plateur at 25/1 for this contest prior to his fine effort in the Prix Du Jockey Club on June 6 and nothing I have seen since has deterred me from believing that he can run a big race this Sunday.
I’ve explained my reasoning several times on these pages since I suggested he was my idea of the Arc winner on June 5 in the Epsom Derby thread. Simply, he is tactically versatile, has a high cruising speed, quickens and has given every indication that he stays the trip with two solid efforts over course and distance.
This imposing sort should make up into a lovely 4YO and I have little doubt that he has continued to thrive since his Prix Niel second.
His old rival, Behkabad, is the one to beat and I can’t ignore the fact that the Jean-Claude Rouget trained star has two recent defeats over Plantuer on his record.
Wherever one finishes, the other won’t be far away.
I’ve always been a supporter of Fame And Glory and backed him at 12/1 for this race last year prior to his Irish Derby success. In the cold light of day, I had to admit he just wasn’t good enough and, whilst he has done nothing wrong this year, he has done nothing to suggest that he possesses the attributes to win an Arc and may find that the leading French colts have just that little bit of extra toe. Of course, his chances would improve dramatically if the ground comes up very testing.
His stablemate, Cape Blanco, is a wonderfully tough and talented colt, but it’s something of a worry that he was well beaten on his only previous visit to France and one has to question if he will be ideally suited by the ‘rough and tumble’ nature of the Arc.
One horse that is obviously suited to the demands of the race is Youmzain. He has given every indication that he retains most of his ability with some solid efforts in the Coronation Cup and Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud, where he was narrowly beaten by Plumania. That filly has done the form no harm since, finding only five-time Group One winner, Midday, too good in the Prix Vermeille. There is apparantly nothing in this field the calibre of Dylan Thomas, Zarkava or Sea The Stars and one has to believe he wil be on the premises once again.
Workforce could still be anything, but he’s an awfully skinny price for a colt that was beaten 17L on his last visit to the track and the Epsom Derby has since proved very ordinary. He has it all to prove.
I have backed Planteur and Youmzain for this contest and may have a small flutter on Plumania at 33/1 on the day. Course and distance form with a filly who would have held a leading chance if connections had targeted her at the race.
With AOB over racing F&G last term, lost his form last back end, wasn’t that surprised had a mid-season break.
There you go again, Ginger, telling Aidan how to train his horses.
He wasn’t overraced. In the Arc he simply wasn’t good enough, and he was one-paced on the fastish ground in the 10f Champion Stakes.
Won’t be good enough this year, either.Good old Reet,i"ll give you this,you have said from the start of the season
Fame and Glory
is just not good enough to win an Arc,i like a man who stands his ground! I on the other hand reckon F&G will win the Arc but only if
Workforce
doesn"t run! One of these days you will out fox the fox!
Now my original fancy looks like she’s going elsewhere …..although I still haven’t found a list of entries?????…it’s time to look for an alternative
Despite the fact that I’ve never backed the horse in his entire career, I keep coming back to YOUMZAIN, there’s nothing else I can think of amongst the market leaders that’ could get within 2 lengths of Seas The Stars or Zarkava and there won’t be a jockey in the field better equipped to get him (kid him) there at just the right moment than Richard HughesPS He’s also thehorsesmouth’s selection and I’d rate him as highly as anyone on this forum when it comes to finding winners
PS He’s also thehorsesmouth’s selection and I’d rate him as highly as anyone on this forum when it comes to finding winners
Couldn"t agree more Chelters!
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Some good points made in this thread keep up the good work. Ps wish that out of control turnip Tapk wouldn’t post **** every other post it makes for hard reading
Some good points made in this thread keep up the good work. Ps wish that out of control turnip Tapk wouldn’t post [expletive] every other post it makes for hard reading
Not only do your posts lack content and your spelling is shocking,it now transpires you struggle reading! What do you contribute to this forum thats not related to me?
With AOB over racing F&G last term, lost his form last back end, wasn’t that surprised had a mid-season break.
There you go again, Ginger, telling Aidan how to train his horses.
He wasn’t overraced. In the Arc he simply wasn’t good enough, and he was one-paced on the fastish ground in the 10f Champion Stakes.
Won’t be good enough this year, either.I am speaking in hindsight Reet. AOB wasn’t to know F&G would lose his form. Am sure in hindsight AOB wishes he hadn’t raced the horse so often last season.
One of the reasons why AOB is such a good trainer is he isn’t afraid to get it wrong. Then (unlike some I could mention) learns from his mistakes.If Fame And Glory was simply "not good enough" last year Reet, then you must believe he ran to form when 6th? Is Youmzain really 4 1/2 lengths superior to F&G? Stretching logic a bit too far there, don’t you think? At the end of last year, Timeform rated the Irish horse 3 lbs superior.
Had F&G ran to form last year, he’d have been a close second. Sea The Stars running below his best to win. There is no STS this year….
Like Nijinsky, Fame And Glory cried enough for the season at Newmarket.
Value Is Everything- Total Posts 17716
Aye Ginger, you’ll be right and Aidan’ll be wrong.
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Anythings possible but Cape Blanco particpation has got to indicate OAB doesn’t regard Fame and Glory as any good thing. How could he after last year.
Sea the Stars IMVHO was the subject of a carving up job last season after the Arc when they realised they had balls up with his rating.
Everyone I knew had one word for Sea the Stars after the Arc "Brilliant" but becasue they had him superior to Zarkava and Youmzain was involved again they had to think of something quick.
It wasn’t until they started saying he had run below par did others jump on the bandwagon.
As Ginge says there no Sea the Stars this year although the jury must be still out on Workforce who does run BTW.
The fact he doesn’t have a turn of foot is what goes dead against Fame and Glory. He has a very high cruisng speed but if Cape Blanco start forcing the pace from a long way out Fame and Glory will have to come out of cruise just to get to him and he could end up being a sitting duck again like he was last year.
If Fame and Glory is going to win the Arc he’ll need to be taking it up at least 2 furlongs out imo where he can use his high crusing to steal a march. He may not be able to do that with Cape Blanco in the race.
Truth is unless Workforce is everything Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore think he is anything could win this Arc.
Wish I had backed Cavalryman at now at 400 when i had the chance as even he could win this if he turns up.
Workforce and Cape Blanco look the most obvious being 3yo as the older horses are pretty ordinary this year.
Final selection for me is
Workforce
Cape Blanco
YoumzainLay; Fame and Glory
"Fist wrote: Workforce who does run BTW.
Its the "By the way" bit that worries me,i like many others have been waiting just for a crumb of information about his participation and yet we are left dangling! Very poor PR from connections, very poor! I hope you are right Fist!
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Don’t think I’m right, I know I am, he runs for sure
mate.It’ll be announced before racing starts trust me
One from the left field……….FLYING CROSS
Very unexposed, ran a blinder last time out and had a "penalty kick" entry in a listed race at Newmarket on Thursday but misses that race presumably to run in The Arc
66-1 generally but 100-1 with Paddy Power, worth a litle ew? Could be, especially if Seamie gets the ride- Total Posts 17716
How on earth is Cape Blanco going to stay a mile and a half by pushing the pace? I still can’t believe they are running him at all. Must have a very low opinion of his chances on dirt.
I think Cape Blanco would have to be given as quiet a ride as possible to outstay this lot. On that front they do at least have "Mr Quiet" engaged if the reports re Soumillon are correct. Nobody gives a potential non stayer a better ride. You’d think if they were planning on blazing away out in front that Mr Heffernan would have kept the ride. Hold up tactics look certain.
Now I’ll just get the egg ready for second guessing Coolmore tactics.
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Wouldn’t try and put you off CS I’m still contemplating backing Frankies EW because if the 3yo turn out to be no good anything could happen.
Like Youmzain he can run well in this race and Godolphin aren’t short of surprises.
Good sensible booking for Cape Blanco the surprise package who is the one they all have to beat. No fluke about his win. Workforce still my No.1 but having an equal bet on Cape Blanco and hope the 3yo can give midle distance racing a badly needed boost
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