The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) is the highlight of the Oct. 5 card at Longchamp, but there are five other group 1 races set to be contested at the track Sunday, with all of them offering automatic, fees-paid berths to corresponding Breeders' Cup races through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) has a good recent history of producing classic heroes, with three of the last six runnings going to subsequent Poule d'Essai des Poulains (G1), Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1), and Prix du Jockey Club (G1) winners.
In fact, the winners of all three of those races this season contested this 7-furlong contest last year, with Camille Pissarro (Prix du Jockey Club) having Field of Gold (Irish Two Thousand Guineas) and Henri Matisse (Poule d'Essai des Poulain) back in fourth and fifth.
That was a third success in the last four for overseas challengers and a ninth Lagardere for Aidan O'Brien, although it was just a second win from 15 runners since Holy Roman Emperor in 2006. He relies this year on Puerto Rico.
Sired by the late Wootton Bassett, who landed the Lagardere in 2010, he got off the mark at the sixth attempt when looking to appreciate a first attempt at 7 furlongs in the Champagne Stakes (G2) at Doncaster last time. He made all and may do better still.
The Racing Post Rating of 109 he recorded puts him top in this field on adjusted figures. That is 2 pounds ahead of A Bit of Spirit, who was last seen landing the Solario Stakes (G3).
His form ties in closely with Time To Turn. The score between the pair is 1-1, with A Bit of Spirit getting the better of the argument in a Newbury novice in June and Time To Turn gaining his revenge in the Pat Eddery Stakes at Ascot in July. The margin was a head both times.
A line though Sirius A, who was fourth (beaten 9 lengths) behind that pair at Ascot, seemingly hands them the advantage over Christopher Head's Nighttime, who beat that rival by 3 lengths at Deauville in July. He is progressive and has won a group 3 since.
The danger to all is Rayif, who is unbeaten in two starts. He was a comfortable winner over the useful Andab in a group 3 at Deauville, showing a good turn of foot to come from the back. He looks just the type to make his presence felt up in class.
Not only is the Jean-Luc Lagardere a "win and you're in" event for the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), it is also part of the European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby, granting the top five finishers qualifying points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale for the 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Prix de la Foret
A Prix de la Foret (G1) field is usually populated by 7-furlong specialists, milers dropping in distance, and the odd sprinter going the other way. All angles are covered this year.
Bringing top-class sprint form to the table is Sajir, who went from Abernant Stakes (G3) victory in the spring to a defeat of Lazzat in the Prix Maurice de Gheest (G1) last time.
That form is the best in this field, with Lazzat widely considered Europe's best sprinter, although Sajir's chance is compromised by a high draw in stall 13 and probably the stiffer test of stamina.
Three boxes from Sajir is early favorite More Thunder, whose starting berth in 16 is even more troublesome.
More Thunder has improved for stepping up to 7 furlongs and looked a group horse in a handicap when an unlucky loser of the Wokingham over 6 furlongs before scrambling home when first sent up in trip in the Bunbury Cup.
William Haggas has a precedent in this race with three-time winner One Master, the last horse to defy a draw in the teens in the 2018 running.
Forgotten filly Zarigana is interesting from stall 6. Her resolution came under fire when Cercene seemed to outbattle her in the Coronation Stakes (G1) and going back a furlong looks the correct move.
We should also consider those who contested the City of York Stakes (G1), which joined the Foret as Europe's second non-juvenile 7-furlong group 1 this year.
Exactly (stall 3) was sixth on the Knavesmire and boosted the form when narrowly beaten by Fallen Angel in the Matron Stakes (G1).
Three places ahead of Exactly at York was Maranoa Charlie (stall 4), who sat closer to a hot pace than the first two. His claims are obvious for last season's winning trainer Christopher Head.
The Foret is a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series event for the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
Prix de l'Opera
Three-year-olds have been successful in 14 of the last 17 runnings of the 1 1/4-mile Prix de l'Opera (G1) and their 5-pound weight-for-age allowance makes them an attractive proposition.
Not many of these like to go forward and that could play into the hands of Barnavara, who made all to win the Blandford Stakes (G2) last time. That was her best effort yet and there's potential for an uncontested lead from her handy draw in stall 4.
Wemightakedlongway achieved a career best when not beaten far by Minnie Hauk in an Irish Oaks (G1) that lacked depth. While she hasn't been making the running lately, she has won from the front and Dylan Browne McMonagle won't want this to turn into a sprint. She's the other pace angle.
Ballydoyle's only Opera success came with Rhododendron in 2017, and January is their sole representative. Stamina is the main question mark as she has raced exclusively at a mile this season and her pedigree doesn't offer a lot of hope for middle distances.
From the older horses, Tamfana needs to put a low-key Lockinge Stakes (G1) run behind her. The step up in trip may help judged on her close third in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks, G1) last season.
Fans of Aventure and Quisisana for the Arc will have Grand Stars on their shortlist. Gerald Mosse's filly tends to need luck in running, as seen when not getting the clearest passage behind Quisisana in the Prix Jean Romanet (G1), and a lack of pace in the race has to be a concern.
See The Fire tops the betting. She has been no match for Ombudsman in open group 1s this term and is starting to look flattered by her wide-margin Middleton Stakes (G2) success. She's another who needs a strong gallop.
The winner of the Prix de l'Opera will earn a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1T).
Prix Marcel Boussac
There is no denying that Francis-Henri Graffard is the force in French racing right now and he often runs his best filly in the 1-mile Prix Marcel Boussac (G1). He saddled the first two last year, with Vertical Blue beating hot favorite Zarigana, and also sent out Les Pavots to finish third the season before.
This year Graffard runs Narissa and Clea Chope, but both have their work cut out to reverse the placings with Green Spirit, who is unbeaten and had them behind in each of her last two starts. So could it be that Christopher Head, who trains Green Spirit, saddles this year's star?
Head won the race with the outstanding Blue Rose Cen three years ago and has purred in his praise for Green Spirit, who has had this race as her principal target since her win here last month. She looks like the outstanding young filly in France and this is her chance to prove it.
Her biggest danger probably comes from the visiting Aidan O'Brien team. O'Brien has two wins and three places from just eight runners in the last 10 years and also won two seasons ago with Opera Singer. Christophe Soumillon partners his first string this time in Diamond Necklace.
She is aiming to become a first group 1 winner for new sire St Mark's Basilica, who showed a lot of his best form in France, and Soumillon pinpointed this race as the likely target following her last win at Leopardstown. There is every chance she can take a step forward.
The Prix Marcel Boussac grants the winner a fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T). Oct. 31.
Prix de l'Abbaye
The draw for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe has been the talk of the town but stall position is even more important for the 5-furlong Prix de l'Abbaye (G1) because the task is much harder from a wide gate.
Since the 2010 running, and excluding those at Chantilly in 2016 and 2017, there has been one simple rule: the further from stall 1 a horse is drawn, the fewer rivals they tend to beat.
In that time stall 1 has beaten an average of 64% of rivals and the lowest five stalls have combined to beat nearly 60%. There is a significant drop-off after that, with the trend continuing to the point where those drawn in stall 19 have beaten just 36%.
The advantage of being drawn low looks likely to be even greater this year because Ponntos is probably the fastest horse in Europe over the first couple of furlongs and he comes from stall 2. That should give those positioned close to him a perfect trail into the race.
Given the huge advantage of stall 1, Monteille is certain to be among the market leaders and his course-and-distance victory three weeks ago was achieved in very soft conditions.
Ground seems to be the key for Monteille, who probably found it too quick when eighth behind a few of these on good to firm in the King Charles III Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot. However, the surface here should be suitable and connections couldn't have wished for a better set of circumstances.
The same can be said for Australian mare Asfoora, who was back to her best when landing the Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York. She is drawn on the other side of Ponntos in 3 and will be able to follow him through, but the forecast rain sounds a note of caution.
Asfoora has won on soft ground in Australia but her best form is on quicker and quite how testing conditions down under compare with those in Europe remains open to question.
Maybe the biggest threat to those drawn inside will be the juvenile Afjan. He is in stall 10 but receives upwards of 14 pounds from all of his rivals and looked good when winning a group 3 for 2-year-olds on very soft ground over course and distance at the end of August.
The Platinum Queen won this as a juvenile three years ago and Soldier's Call finished third as a 2-year-old in 2018. That isn't a bad return considering that only nine have run since 2015.
A win in the Prix de l'Abbaye comes with an automatic, fees-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T).
