Arc weekend spotlight: three performers to note
The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at ParisLongchamp is one of the highlights of the European flat season and its supporting programme provides plenty of high-class action. With unusually dry weather in recent weeks, the ground is expected to be on the quicker side of good, a factor that will influence several of the sprint and seven-furlong contests on the undercard.
Shiri (Prix de l’Abbaye)
The five-furlong sprint, the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, often turns on draw as much as raw speed. Low stalls have proved advantageous over the years and that is a meaningful consideration this year.
Shiri, trained by Francis-Henri Graffard and drawn in stall four, has progressed rapidly this season when dropped back to five furlongs. Recent form includes a Listed success at Deauville and a close finish in a Group 3 over the same course and distance, where she was beaten by Naana’s Shadow. With that run under her belt and a favourable berth in the stalls, she is one to monitor in a renewal that can be influenced heavily by position and the early pace.
Miss Scott (Prix de l’Opera)
The Prix de l’Opera Longines features a strong contingent of three-year-olds alongside established older fillies and mares. Among the newcomers to this level is Miss Scott, a Night of Thunder filly trained by John and Thady Gosden.
Miss Scott has been brought on steadily and has shown progressive form, culminating in a victory in the Snow Fairy Fillies’ Stakes at the Curragh. A step back up to the Opera trip looks likely to suit her profile, and she arrives with the prospect of further improvement. The race also includes the experienced Christophe Ferland-trained Aventure, but Miss Scott’s upward trajectory makes her an interesting contender as she tackles a stronger test.
Thesecretadversary (Prix de la Foret)
The Qatar Prix de la Foret is a distinct test: the actual distance ridden can feel shorter than the advertised seven furlongs, and a downhill section early in the race can sharpen the contest. With this renewal likely to be run on quicker ground, speed over the shorter trip is a premium.
Thesecretadversary, trained by Fozzy Stack, has recorded notable wins over trips below a mile this season, including the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. While he has found Group 1 mile contests more testing, his recent form over the sharper trips underlines his effectiveness at this range. ParisLongchamp’s course and distance should suit him well and he arrives with an unbeaten record over shorter trips this term.
Festival threads: Ascot form and continental targets
There are repeat threads between major UK festivals and the Arc weekend programme this year. Performances at Royal Ascot and the Curragh have fed into ParisLongchamp entries, illustrating how summer festival form can set up autumn targets on the continent. The Jersey Stakes winner stepping up to target a Group 1 at Longchamp and a Curragh pattern scorer contesting the Opera underline the cross-channel connections that shape the European calendar.
With ground described as likely to be on the quicker side of good, this year’s Arc undercard could favour those with proven speed and course-appropriate profiles. Draw, trip and a tolerance for a firmer surface will be important factors for contenders in the fast, downhill sections and tight sprints that feature across the card.
While the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe remains the centrepiece, the supporting races carry plenty of sport for racegoers and festival followers. Shiri, Miss Scott and Thesecretadversary are among the performers to have caught the eye as connections pitch form from Ascot and other summer targets towards Longchamp.
What to watch
- The influence of a quicker surface on the sprint and seven-furlong contests.
- How draw affects the outcome of the Abbaye, where stall position has long been a factor.
- Whether form from Royal Ascot and the Curragh translates on to Longchamp’s configuration.
This article may have been prepared in whole or in part with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
