Left Hand the only withdrawal as Ballydoyle keep seven in contention
Last season’s winning trainer Aidan O’Brien again holds the key to the make-up of this year’s Arc field as 19 horses stayed in the race for Europe’s richest prize at Tuesday’s forfeit stage.
Left Hand was the only name to disappear from the initial list of 20 announced on Monday, with the Wertheimers’ four-year-old filly now likely to take her chance in the Prix de l’Opera on Sunday.
O’Brien kept all seven of his hopes alive, although there is wide discrepancy among bookmakers as to which of his potential runners is the Ballydoyle number one.
Sky Bet favour 8-1 chance Winter over Highland Reel and Order Of St George at 10-1.
But Coral have almost exactly the reverse view, making Order Of St George the shortest among the trio at 9-1, while Winter – who also has the option of the Opera – is a 12-1 chance.
William Hill reported that Enable – who will need to be supplemented into the race on Wednesday morning – remains extremely popular as the race approaches, and make the four-time Group 1 winner an 8-11 chance to add the Arc to her big-race haul.
“Despite the probable big field, almost all the bets this week have been for the favourite Enable,” said Hills spokesman Rupert Adams.
Among those home hopes being put through their paces for the final time on Tuesday morning was the Aga Khan’s Zarak, who galloped on Les Aigles under regular work-rider Eric Alloix.
Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre said: “This race has been on his agenda since August and I’ve been very happy with him over the last fortnight. I believe the horse is as well as we could possibly hope.”
The ground at Chantilly remained soft at 10am on Tuesday, with the penetrometer remaining at the same reading of 3.7 as 24 hours earlier.
The forecast for the run-up to Sunday’s Qatar-sponsored €5 million showpiece remains unsettled, with temperatures due to dip on the day of the race and rain scheduled to arrive.
fonte : RacingPost
