Jockey William Buick has expressed that he believes his ride Ghaiyyath has the ability to go close in this years Arc on Sunday after a superb performance at Baden-baden last time out.
The four year old for trainer Charlie Appleby has won five of his seven races during his career and this season has really come to life missing 2018 and trying to make up for it.
He started his season at Longchamp in the Group Two Prix d'Harcourt over 1 mile 2f and romped to victory and from there became a horse on punters radar.
He was less than impressive in his next at Longchamp again in the Group One Prix Ganay where he blew out to early and could only finish third finishing behind Waldgeist who also goes for the Paris showpiece this weekend.
However, last time out he gave the performance of his career over at Baden-baden in Germany, winning a decent Group One by a very wide margin.
This saw his rating go to 128 just 1lb behind Enable but many people have looked into the race and questioned how strong the form line actually is to be warranted such a high rating.
The son of Dubawi likes to go from the front but Buick believes he has more to offer than just that style of racing.
(Credit Racing Post) He said: "I think he's matured and progressed since he was beaten by Waldgeist and Study Of Man in the Ganay, which was a good run anyway, and on his first run at a mile and a half in Germany he was really impressive.
"It was a solid German Group 1 – German Derby and Oaks form – and you have to respect those big races there. Remember Danedream won the Grosser Preis von Baden before she won the Arc, and she wasn't the first.
"On top of that Ghaiyyath won it by 14 lengths with what was a pretty devastating performance – and from a layoff on ground that was quick and rough and not what he would really enjoy."
He added: "He'll appreciate getting on the nicer ground at Longchamp, I'm sure of that, and I wouldn't say he's one-dimensional. If the pace is satisfactory there's no reason he wouldn't take a lead, but if it isn't there's no reason we wouldn't go on and do our thing. I think he's flexible.
"In the races in which he's made the running it's suited him, as he's a very exuberant horse, and a very powerful horse with a big long stride. He's the sort of horse with whom the less you interfere the better he is."
Ghaiyyath has been a horse that has been patiently dealt with bu Charlie Appleby and Godolphin but the Arc has always been the race they have been aiming for with the four year old and now the time has come they aren't worrying about the other horses, just their colt.
(Credit Racing Post) Buick added: "The Arc is a hard race any year, whatever the opposition, because it's not just the European Championship now, it's the World Championship, but I can't worry too much about Enable.
"She's a magnificent horse – one in a million – and she's been great for racing. We are all very aware of that, and of the fact she's bidding to make history, but we're all going there to do a job and we'll all ride our own race."