- This topic has 18 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 7 months ago by
.
- Posts
Having just read that Behkabad is now 3/1 favourite for this years Arc, I am singularly not excited about the race this year.
In my opinion it is one of the weakest fields that I can ever recall.
Can anyone suggest any weaker renewals?Having just read that Behkabad is now 3/1 favourite for this years Arc, I am singularly not excited about the race this year.
In my opinion it is one of the weakest fields that I can ever recall.
Can anyone suggest any weaker renewals?Yeah it has lost a lot of its fizz with Harbinger/Dar Rei Mi and now Sariska outta the frame. I wonder if Midday will take her place in the line up though. Must have chances if she does
The 2005 renewal – now THAT was an Arc. 2006 wasn’t bad either and 2008 was pretty damn good too. 2007, 2009 and this year’s renewals are certainly lacking something, although I wouldn’t be too harsh on it.
My obvious bias to Behkabad aside, if the Prix du Jockey Club had stayed at its 2400 metre distance, Behkabad would no doubt have won that and added it to his GP de Paris and Niel. He’d be an outstanding French 3yo colt in an outstanding crop of French 3yos. And Planteur isn’t exactly a bad thing to have snapping at your heels.
It’s a shame Workforce’s post-Derby career has been disrupted, but he’s obviously capable of a big run. Fame And Glory’s a solid yardstick but nothing more. He can grind out his 10f and 12f Group 1s and 2s against inferior/non-staying opposition as much as he wants, but he’ll really be found out here. He’ll need to make all if he’s to have a real chance of winning.
Bar the top 4 in the market, yes, it does look a very weak affair, but we’ve still got the 3 very best middle-distance 3yos in Europe on show.
I think Behkabad and Planteur might be superstar material the way they shot away from Jan Vermeer and Goldwaki.
But I actually don’t think the class is far off last year’s edition at all, because the French look a lot more threatening than they did last year.Lose STS, Conduit, perhaps Cavalryman but gain 2 smart 3yo’s who might be very good indeed. Lose Da Re Mi and Conduit but gain two Japanese runners. One of these ran third in the Japan Derby and the other, Nakayama Festa, just beat Buena Vista over 11f in Japan. Remember Buena Vista, one of Japan’s top horses, ran an unlucky second to Da Re Mi in Dubai and would have won if she didn’t get a very bad check in the straight.
Possible runners like Byword, Workforce, and Cape Blanco, as well as probable French runners like Plumania and Sarafina (an improvement over Stacelita) make this a decent Arc. You could argue that there’s no superstar though, but I don’t think that’s for sure just yet.i wouldnt call it a weak field, 3 of the most sought after horses in training:
Workforce, F&G and Cape Blanco.
and your usual french favourite, which notably is behkabad this year.
seems usual to me, like most years.
its just that you don’t have a legend like "STS" or "Zarkava" which makes it more exciting for alot of people.
2008-9 are virtually for me the same Arc, dunno what makes the 09 lackling something, for the all the media attention 2009 got, made it feel awesome I thought.
The 2010 renewal doesn’t exactly get my juices flowing either.
Without Harbinger (and Workforce ?), there is nothing to stir the imagination.
I suppose Fame and Glory may gallop the other equine nondescripts into submission.
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
- Total Posts 17716
This years Arc is a pitiful renewal of such a illustrious race, half the horse likely to run are not genuine Group 1’s although we’ve been unlucky to have St Nicholas Abbey, Harbinger and Workforce taken away from the fans due to injury so it’s no surprise that it’s a mediocre bunch in truth.
We could of possibly had this line up;
St Nicholas Abbey
Workforce
Harbinger
Sariska
Da Re Mi
Cape Blanco
Fame And Glory
Midday
Spanish Moon
Youmzain*Slams head on table,* oh what could of been….
i can’t see the obsession with spanish moon personally. the most overrated horse in training, and can’t possibly win an arc. Ever!!
I think ill stick with F&G at the minute, if its soft ground.
People say F&G doesn’t have a turn of foot, imo, you wont need one if its soft ground on the day.
I think that you’re all being a little harsh!
Probably due to some backing non runners or having no obvious fav to back!
You could go through the last couple of Arcs and pick holes!
But things are always better in the past…
Harbinger would’ve absolutely trotted up in this Arc had he remained fit.
I agree the fact that Behkabad is favourite sums up the lack of quality in this years renewal. I can see there being a big priced / unfancied winner.
If Fame and Glory wins the 2010 running it is.
I thought last year was pretty solid, does anyone know how many group 1 winners, I counted 8?
Is it really about numbers?
One of those Group 1 winners was 150/1 and just stretching his legs before getting on the plane to Dubai!
If F&G or ‘Youmzain’ wins this year…it’ll make it look somewhat better!
Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Youmzain- Preis Von Europa (2006), Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (2008)
Cavalyman- Grand Prix de Paris (2009)
Conduit- St Leger Stakes (2008), Breeders Cup Turf (2008), King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2009),Breeders Cup Turf (2009)
Dar Re Mi- Pretty Polly Stakes (2009), Yorkshire Oaks (2009),Dubai Sheema Classic (2010)
Fame And Glory- Criterium de Saint-Cloud (2008), Irish Derby (2009),Tattersalls Gold Cup (2010), Coronation Cup (2010)
Stacelita- Prix Saint-Alary (2009), Prix de Diane (2009), Prix Vermeille (2009),Prix Jean Romanet (2010)
Vision D’Etat- Prix Du Jockey Club (2008), Prix Ganay (2009), Prince of Wales Stakes (2009),Hong Kong Cup (2009)
Getaway- Deutschland-Preis (2009), Preis Von Baden (2009)
Hot Six- Grande Premio (2009)To expand on what I was saying earlier – this year there has been no ‘Zar’ or ‘Sea’ for people to latch onto as a good fav!
Quite a few fancied ‘Dar’ & ‘Sar’ so no doubt (for them) some of the shine has been lost for this year’s affair?
Look through the race last year and you’ll see the dead wood as there is this year! – Non stayers and others who are long in the tooth!Yet, I was quite excited by the prospect of some of the runners this year…until the weekend we did have an unbeaten filly who won a G1 on only her second start – & two G1’s from three starts (now there’s some numbers!) – was she not an interesting prospect?
What with all the talk of ‘Workforce’ coming back ‘SNA’ back in training – a couple of good French colts (unlike last year when ‘Cav Man’ wasn’t rated anywhere near these two) and the clash of generations/sexes to come I think that we have a decent race – there may be more twists in the plot still…
and I’m most likely biased in my views anyways!
Good luck & keep knocking (if we don’t moan about the weather we got to find something else to whinge about!) – each to their own! – I’ll enjoy it the whole weekend indeed!
Let’s do this again.
Lost from last year
Sea The Stars
Cavalryman
Conduit
Da Re Mi
Stacelita
Vision D’Etat (doesn’t stay 2400m even though we didn’t definitively know that last year)Gained this year
Behkabad
Planteur
Nakayama Festa (through Buena Vista in Dubai this horse would give Da Re Mi a serious race)
Victoire Pisa (Japan Guineas [10f] winner, Derby 3rd)
Byword
Plumania
Sarafina
Daryakana
[perhaps Cape Blanco and Workforce]Da Re Mi is a good racehorse but she was never quite good enough to win the Arc. The two French stars for STS & Cavalryman, Nakayama Festa for Da Re Mi, Sarafina over Stacelita. The second Japanese horse Victoire Pisa, Byword, Daryakana & Plumania for Conduit. And if Cape Blanco or Workforce make it?
It seems weaker because of the weaker British/Irish team and the downer of having Da Re Mi, Sarafina, Harbinger, and maybe Workforce miss it. But the French have a much stronger team and the Japanese horses should be class animals. The level of competition is actually similar to that of last year’s.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.