• 1st

  

  13Ace Impact
  FAV19/10
• 2nd

  

  6Westover
  32/5
• 3rd

  

  3Onesto
  55/1

Ace Impact justified Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favouritism at Longchamp on Sunday when a sharp turn of foot helped him win one of the world’s greatest races.

Now unbeaten in six starts, Ace Impact runs in the colours of Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak and showed just why he has headed the betting for the Arc for much of 2023 when he ran down Westover.

Onesto was third, one place ahead of Through Seven Seas, while fifth went to St Leger winner Continuous.

By Cracksman, whom some might regret never ran in an Arc, Ace Impact was unraced at two but won at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January before another victory in April at Bordeaux Le Bouscat.

A Listed win at Chantilly was then secured before Jean-Claude Rouget’s inmate returned to that track to capture the Prix du Jockey Club, announcing himself as a leading player for the prestigious Paris prize.

After two months off, he returned to win Deauville’s Prix Guillaume d’Ornano in August and added the Arc to his CV when flying home under his Italian jockey Cristian Demuro.

Drawn in stall eight, Ace Impact was held up by Demuro and seemed to be going well when pulled wide in the straight as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Hukum was committed closer to the inside rail by Jim Crowley.

He could not sustain his challenge and his Ascot victim Westover looked a player only for Ace Impact to run him down in thrilling style.

“I’m like a very backward horse – I’m just maturing now,” joked Rouget, a titan of European training who won the Arc for the first time with Sottsass in 2020.

“I hope I have a few more good years in front of me. I started with jumpers and very bad Flat horses, but Millkom was the first sign of a Classic horse in 1994 and then we won with Le Havre, Stacelita and now we have a very strong stable.

“I thank my teams – in Pau and Deauville – as they put in a lot of work in a serious, serious way.”

Of Ace Impact, he added: “We always say they’re the best when a new horse comes along, but I think he’s got the strongest acceleration I’ve seen.”

The retiring Frankie Dettori, a winner of a record six Arcs, was riding in the famous race for the final time, but could not find the dream farewell as he finished 13th on Free Wind.

After riding in the contest for a barely believable 34th time, he said: “I got a lovely slot behind Westover whom I knew would take me there, but they quickened in the straight and left me there. I really enjoyed it and the Arc has been a great race for me. It’s been a good journey and I’m bowing out with a smile.

“This morning I was sad, but now I’ve had some rides I feel the adrenaline kicking in, but we’ll miss it for sure. It’s all been great. Six Arc wins – what can you say?

“I’ve ridden some great champions and 34 rides in the Arc is a record itself.”

Westover’s trainer Ralph Beckett, unlike Dettori, has never won the Arc and, filled with pride, he said: “What a run. I’m delighted. Hukum came across and looked like he helped the pace along. At the top of the straight, I thought we were in business, but there was one better.

“I’ve nothing to add – he’s done it again. I always fancied the Breeders’ Cup Turf for him as he enjoys his time away, as we saw in Dubai earlier in the year. That race is shaping up to be the best ever, but that’s life and I think we’ll probably go.”

Worth £2.52 million to the winner, the Arc was run on ground officially described as good to soft, but general consensus rated it much faster.

“It’s a lot quicker than ideal,” said Crowley after his ninth on Hukum. “We didn’t expect it to be so quick and, from stall 14, I had to use up a bit. I actually got a good position and was happy and got a breather into him, but he just couldn’t pick up on that quick ground.”

Read more . . .

2023 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe full result: where your horse finished for the Longchamp showpiece including each-way places 

‘I’m bowing out with a smile on my face!’ – no joy for Frankie Dettori on his final ride in the Arc 

‘I was always going to win today’ – Rosallion team eye next year’s 2,000 Guineas after breakthrough top-level win 

‘She’s a very exciting filly’ – Opera Singer spreadeagles field to claim Marcel Boussac for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore 

by RacingPost