All eyes are on France this coming weekend for one of the standout events of the flat campaign. 1m4f is the trip for the international showstopper of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with £4,424,779 in total prize money on offer. With the late supplementary entries confirmed and the draw made, we have our final list of 15 runners and riders.
Sir Mark Prescott achieved the standout result of his sparkling career when saddling the fabulous mare Alpinista to victory in 2022, but who will come out on top in 2023? As ever, we have a truly cosmopolitan lineup, with France, Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Japan all represented.
Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe: Confirmed Field of Runners and Riders
- 1. Sisfahan – Trainer: Henk Grewe, Jockey: Lukas Delozier – Sisfahan won the 2021 German Derby, but has struggled to hit the same heights since. He picked up a soft-ground Group 2 win in Italy around this time last year. Finished second to the reopposing Simca Mile two starts ago which leaves him with work to do, but he should enjoy the likely conditions.
- 2. Haya Zark – Trainer: Adrien Fouassier, Jockey: Gerald Mosse – A course and distance winner, having landed the Group 3 Prix d’Hedouville in May. Subsequently finished last of five in the Grand Prix de Chantilly, but took a step back in the right direction when third in the Lucien Barriere. Patchy overall profile and this is his first crack at a Group 1.
- 3. Onesto – Trainer: Fabrice Chappet, Jockey: Maxime Guyon – Talented son of Frankel who has a Group 1 win over track and trip to his name when seeing off Simca Mille in the 2022 Grand Prix de Paris. Not in such good form this season – including when seventh of eight in the Irish Champion Stakes and finished 10th in this last year.
- 4. Simca Mille – Trainer: Stephane Wattel, Jockey: Alexis Pouchin – Four-year-old arriving on a hot streak, with three wins in his past four starts. The best of those came when he broke his Group 1 duck in the Grosser Preis von Berlin in August. Skipped this race having won the Prix Niel over track and trip in 2022, but he takes his chance this year and is one of the more interesting outsiders.
- 5. Bay Bridge – Trainer: Sir Michael Stoute, Jockey: Richard Kingscote – Proved himself at this level when seeing off Adayar and Baeed in the 2022 Qipco Champions Stakes. September Stakes at Kempton was an unusual prep for this but won that race in style on his first attempt at this trip. A zero from two record on soft ground leaves him with a question to answer on that score.
- 6. Westover – Trainer: Ralph Beckett, Jockey: Rob Hornby – Runaway winner of the 2022 Irish Derby who bagged a second Group 1 in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. His overall excellent level of form includes filling the runners-up spot behind Japanese wonder horse Equinox in the Dubai Sheem Classic and Hukum in the King George last time out. Sixth to Alpinista last year but looks an improved performer at four years of age.
- 7. Hukum – Trainer: Owen Burrows, Jockey: Jim Crowley – Dual Group 1 winner, having claimed the 2022 Coronation Cup and mastered Westover by a head in the King George in July. His impressive record of seven wins from eight starts following a break of 59 days or more makes his 64-day absence from the track a positive. Two from three on soft ground.
- 8. Place Du Carrousel – Trainer: Andre Fabre, Jockey: Mickael Barzalona – Four-year-old filly from the yard of the most successful trainer in the history of the race. Goes well at this time of year and on soft ground, having beaten off Nashwa in the 2022 Prix de l’Opera at this meeting. This is a far tougher assignment, but she warmed up well when staying on to land the Prix Foy over course and distance in September.
- 9. Through Seven Seas – Trainer: Tomohito Ozeki, Jockey: Christophe-Patrice Lemaire – This year’s big Japanese hope. Slow burner who has hit new heights in 2023, picking up a Group 3 win at Nakayama before stepping up on that to go down by just a head to the world’s top-rated racehorse, Equinox, in the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen. This will be her first effort on anything like this sort of ground, but her overall form reads well.
- 10. Free Wind – Trainer: John Gosden, Jockey: Frankie Dettori – Daughter of super sire Galileo, who is proven over this trip in soft conditions. Has had her injury problems and has not looked quite at her peak this season. Second place in the Yorkshire Oaks was a decent effort last time but needs to find more here. Final ride in the race for all-time leading jockey Frankie Dettori.
- 11. Mr Hollywood – Trainer: Henk Grewe, Jockey: Bauyrzhan Murzabayev – Lightly raced three-year-old with only five career starts. Open to improvement and a perfect two from two on soft or worse going. However, those wins came at a lower level and he needs to step up on recent runners-up efforts to Zagrey and Fantastic Moon, who are amongst the opposition.
- 12. Feed The Flame – Trainer: Pascal Bary, Jockey: Christophe Soumillon – Similar profile to Mr Hollywood, in that this will be only his sixth career start. Son of Kingman, who appears to enjoy himself around here, with three wins from four starts at the track, including in the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris. Behind Fantastic Moon in the Prix Niel but we may not have seen the best of him yet.
- 13. Ace Impact – Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget, Jockey: Cristian Demuro – Three-year-old son of Cracksman who arrives as the only unbeaten runner in the field with a perfect five-from-five record. Power-packed finish to land the Prix Du Jockey Club on his only previous outing in Group 1 company, and warmed up nicely with a comfortable success in a Group 2 at Deauville. Unraced at 1m4f, but handles soft ground well and is a big player for the home team.
- 14. Fantastic Moon – Trainer: Frau S Steinberg, Jockey: Rene Piechulek – Late supplementary entry, with connections opting to take the plunge following his two-and-a-half length success in the Prix Niel, with Feed The Flame in behind. Holds Mr Hollywood on their German Derby running in July and boasts the strongest form of the three German contenders. All wins on good to soft or quicker, so hopes may hinge on the rain staying away.
- 15. Continuous – Trainer: Aidan O’Brien, Jockey: Ryan Moore – Sole entry from the powerful Ballydoyle operation and another late supplementary entry to the race. Proven stamina at the top level, having landed a soft ground St Leger last time out, and impressive over this trip in the Great Voltigeur at York. 15½ lengths behind Ace Impact in the Prix du Jockey Club but appears to have improved hugely since.
