Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Guide 2020

Enable is the headline entry with the six year old looking for her third win in the race after being narrowly defeated in her third consecutive bid by Waldgeist.

The six year old this season has been as consistent as ever, starting her campaign in the Coral Eclipse just being denied by the Godolphin star Ghaiyyath but it acted as a perfect prep run for the Group One King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which she landed for the third time in her career.

She headed to Kempton last time out where she was a strong winner of the Group Three September Stakes and she used that contest as a prep race when landing her second Arc in 2018.

The mare will be taking on arguably her toughest field to date, but in what could be her last time ever on a racecourse the racing world will be cheering her on and if running to form will be tough to beat even on soft, slow ground.

The six year old has been the poster boy for the UK staying division for the last three seasons landing 10 races in a row including winning a Weatherbys-sponsored £1million bonus in the last two seasons after landing the Yorkshire Cup, Ascot Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup and Lonsdale Cup at York, but now is trying his hand over 1m4f.

Stradivarius lost his unbeaten record, that stretched back to May 2018, when being pipped in a photo finish on Champions Day at Ascot in the Long Distance Cup by the Aidan O'Brien trained Kew Gardens.

He came back this season and had a prep run in the Group One Coronation Cup where he ran to a good standard finishing third and gave him the run he needed to go and win his third Ascot Gold Cup.

After joining the likes of Double Trigger and Yeats after landing the Gold Cup, he headed to Glorious Goodwood seeking a fourth win in the Goodwood Cup, which he went on to win.

His owner/breeder Bjorn Nielsen always wanted a crack at the Arc and in preparation sent him to Longchamp over the course and distance in the Prix Foy, where he was a narrow second to Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck.

He is a very versatile horse that can not be overlooked even at this trip, but some of the proven middle distance horses may just have the edge.

Each way claims.

The colt was a star last term landing three contests in a row including the Prix du Jockey Club and then on his final start as a three year old he finished third behind Enable in the Arc.

He came back this term and needed the run finishing a weak fourth in the Group Two Prix d'Harcourt, but got back to winning ways in the Group One Prix Ganay.

He was out muscled last time out in a Group Two at Deauville and although the ground was heavy, he was the big favourite and should have landed the race.

He headed over to Ireland for the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown where he could only finish fourth of six, being slightly outclassed.

However, he has got positives on Sunday, returning to a course and distance he loves, getting soft ground which he has won on before and having the benefit of placing in this race last season.

The three year old colt has been seen four times during his career starting in May at Lyon-Parilly when getting off the mark on debut and then backing that up over the same course and distance when third of eight runners in a Group Two.

He went over to Germany in July where the colt got back to winning ways, this time in Hamburg in the Group One German Derby, landing his first black type event.

After landing that event, he tried his hand at the Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc course and distance and he finished a solid second behind Mogul, staying on the best of the rest.

Although needing to reverse the form with Mogul, that run came on good ground and he is a soft ground specialist and he will be getting his perfect conditions to run a huge race on Sunday.

The three year old filly started her career this term for Jean-Claude Rouget and she got off the mark at the first time of asking in a maiden.

She backed that up over 1m3f at Longchamp when taking a Listed race and then stepped up to the Group One Prix de Diane where she was a close fourth behind Irish stars.

Those three runners have gone on to frank the form since and so has this filly when getting back to winning ways in a Group Three at Deauville.

She was expected to back that up with Group One glory in the Prix Vermeille over course and distance for the Arc, but she was beaten by the Dermot Weld trained Tarnawa.

The filly will have to be better than that run to get involved but still holds bundles of talent getting the weight allowance.

After Andre Fabre broke Enable's heart last year he will look to do the same again with Persian King who was last seen beating Pinatubo in the Prix du Moulin.

This season, he needed his first run of the season, but has since been back on top form landing a Group Two and another Group One last time out.

He stepped up for the Prix Jacques le Marois and had to settle for fourth behind Circus Maximus, but got back to his best when taking the Group One at Longchamp last time out.

He is being stepped up to 1m4f for the first time in his career, with the furthest he has gone before being 10.5 furlongs last year when finishing second to Sottsass in the Prix du Jockey Club.

The mare has raced three times this year, starting in late February when finishing second in Riyadh in a weak event and then after a small break the six year old returned to England in the Eclipse.

She finished a no better fifth that that day and although it being against some of the best runners in the world at that distance, she will be taking on the same in the Arc.

She took on the girls last time out in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood, which she was a shock winner of last season, and although coming with a challenge she faded late on and finished last of the seven runners.

Her form will be one of the weakest heading into the Arc this term and connections will be hoping that with Jamie Spencer on board he can get the maximum out of her on the day.

Fabrice Chappet will field his three year old colt Gold Trip on Sunday and at 40/1 will have to outrun those odds to get involved, only showing patches of good form in his career.

Having ran twice as a juvenile and not getting off the mark, this season he looked a much improved horse when finishing second on seasonal debut at Saint Cloud and backing that up with a win on soft ground in a Group Two at Lyon Parilly.

Since then Gold Trip has been sent up to Group One company in the Prix du Jockey Club and Grand Prix de Paris and been outclassed on both occasions.

Way To Paris is the veteran runner in the race giving his trainer some great days having won and placed in some nice races as a youngster.

Now a seven year old it would need a miracle for the horse to get involved but he has got form on very soft ground that could find him in the placings at best.

He has raced six times this season placing four times, winning the Group One Grand Prix de Saint Cloud two starts ago but last time out when put into the Prix Foy he was totally outclassed.

That was the trial for this event and it looked worrying that he could not get involved in a Group Two and now trying to take on better company.

Getting towards the big outsiders of the race and Chachnak at a triple figure price would be a shock winner of the event, having shown glimpses of form but not at Group One level.

Although having two wins in his last three races they have both come in Group Three races over the maximum trip of 10.5 furlongs.

Stepping up in trip and grade demands much more and having never performed well on soft ground gives him another negative.

The final runner in the Arc is the Royal Julius and at 150/1 and although being a consistent performer he should be nowhere near the frame.

The seven year old has seen his best days come and gone especially over 12 furlongs, with his best runs coming over 1m2f.

The sound ground looks another big problem for this horse who is a triple figure price for a reason.