Gestut Auenquelle's Torquator Tasso, a shocking 72-1 winner of the 2021 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), heads a maximum field of 20 declared for this year's €5-million ($4.8 million) race on Sunday at ParisLongchamp.
The winner of the 1 ½-mile contest is guaranteed an automatic starting position into the $4-million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 82 stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid into a corresponding race of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which will be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, on Nov. 4-5.
The Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is one of five Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races on the Sunday program at ParisLongchamp.
Torquator Tasso, a 5-year-old son of Alderflug, will be ridden by six-time Arc de Triomphe-winning jockey Frankie Dettori, who rode the three-time Group 1 winner for the first time when beaten a head in the 152nd Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) on Sept. 4.
Trainer Marcel Weiss believes his stable star has improved since then and was delighted with the horse's final pre-race workout.
“It was really important for me that Frankie sat on him again before the Arc and when he came on Tuesday to ride him in his final work before the Arc, it was a completely different story,” Weiss said.
“The horse worked really well and there was real harmony between jockey and horse. When Frankie got off him, he agreed with me, saying that he was a different horse at Baden-Baden.”
Mendocino finished ahead of Torquator Tasso in the Grosser Preis von Baden last time out and will be ridden by last year's winning jockey Rene Piechulek, who is a retained rider for owners Stall Salzburg.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained 3-year-old Luxembourg is strongly fancied to give Ireland's champion trainer a third win in the race, following Dylan Thomas in 2007 and the filly Found in 2016, who captured the Breeders' Cup Turf in 2015. The son of Camelot will be tackling the 1 ½-mile trip for the first time, having already guaranteed his starting spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf with victory in another Challenge Series race, the 1 ¼-mile Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Sept. 10.
Five of the six horses who finished behind Luxembourg in Ireland will challenge him again on Sunday: Grand Prix de Paris (G1) winner Onesto, Coral-Eclipse (G1) winner Vadeni, multiple G1 winner Mishriff, the William Haggas-trained Alenquer and Royal Ascot's Hardwick Stakes (G2) winner Broome, who finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf.
Deep Bond, Do Deuce, and Titleholder are three Japanese-bred and -trained runners in Sunday's race. The latter, a 4-year-old son of Duramente, is a multiple G1 winner in Japan and was an impressive 2-length winner of another Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, the Takarazuka Kinen (G1) at Hanshin Racecourse on June 26.
British connections are well represented, with Miss Kirsten Rausing's 5-year-old mare Alpinista strongly fancied to give veteran trainer Sir Mark Prescott a first win in the race. The daughter of Frankel is unbeaten since April 2021, with her last five wins coming at G1 level, including the Darley Yorkshire Oaks in August at York, where she earned an automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1).
Fillies and mares have won six of the last 10 runnings of the Arc and jockey Luke Morris is undaunted ahead of the biggest ride of his career.
“When you have got a horse you know well and can go out there with a plan it makes life a lot easier.” Morris said. “I don't think I'll be as nervous because I know her like the back of my hand and hopefully it'll go smoothly. I feel really privileged and to reward Sir Mark [Prescott] and Kirsten Rausing would be extremely special.”
Eight Line Up In Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
A guaranteed starting spot in the $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) is on the line in the seven-furlong Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1).
Aidan O'Brien has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf four times since 2011 and relies on consistent colt The Antarctic in Sunday's race. The son of Dark Angel has finished in the frame in seven of eight career starts, most recently when finishing behind well-regarded stablemate Blackbeard in both the Darley Prix Morny (G1) and Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes (G1).
The Antarctic is one of three Irish-trained runners, along with His Highness the Aga Khan's Shartash and the Jessica Harrington-trained Pivotal Trigger.
The only filly in the race, Tigrais, looks to have strong claims after finishing ahead of Breizh Sky and Gamestop in the Prix La Rochette (G3) over course and distance on Sept 4.
Star Fillies To Contest Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac
A competitive field of 12 is slated in the 1-mile Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac – Criterium des Pouliches (G1) for 2-year-olds fillies, a race that features subsequent Breeders' Cup champions Found and Wuheida on its roll of honor.
The race winner earns a guaranteed starting spot in this year's $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).
The Wertheimer & Frere-owned Kelina is unbeaten in two starts and will be strongly fancied in her first attempt at stakes level following a wide-margin win in a 1-mile conditions race at Chantilly last time out.
Runners from across Europe are represented with the unbeaten German-trained filly Habana in the lineup, along with the British-trained duo of Dandy Alys and Breege, as well as three runners from Ireland: Aidan O'Brien's Never Ending Story, the Jim Bolger-trained Gan Teorainn and Fozzy Stack's Aspen Grove, supplemented for the race at a cost of over €28,000 (estimated $27,400) earlier in the week.
Nashwa Aiming For Third Straight G1 Win In Prix de l'Opera
Imad Al Sagar's Nashwa will attempt to land a third consecutive G1 victory when lining up in the Prix de l'Opera Longines (G1).
The winner of the 1 ¼-mile contest, restricted to fillies and mares, will earn an automatic berth into this year's $2 million Maker's Mark Filly & Mare Turf (G1).
Trained by John and Thady Gosden, Nashwa will return to the track for the first time since her decisive victory in the Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July. Prior to that, the 3-year-old daughter of Frankel provided jockey Hollie Doyle with a historic first Classic victory in the Prix de Diane Longines (G1) at Chantilly.
Thady Gosden said: “She's been in good form since she won the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. She won that nicely enough and the Prix de l'Opera has always been the plan with her. It's over the right trip.”
Among the 15 taking her on in Sunday's race are the Joseph O'Brien-trained American Pharaoh filly Above The Curve and Cazoo Espom Oaks (G1) winner Tuesday .
A Case Of You Bids For Repeat In Prix De L'Abbaye
Gary Delvin's A Case Of You will attempt to repeat his 2021 success in the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp Longines (G1) and earn an automatic entry into this year's $1-million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1).
The Adrian McGuinness-trained 4-year-old was a short-head winner of the five-furlong contest 12 months ago and followed up with a fifth-place finish behind Golden Pal in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. However, the son of Hot Streak has struggled in three starts in Europe this season, after winning the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) in March at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai.
The likely favorite is the Richard Fahey-trained 2-year-old filly The Platinum Queen, who finished second to the all-conquering Highfield Princess in the Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York in August and has since finished a short-head second in the Coral Flying Childers Stakes (G1) at Doncaster on Sept. 11. She will attempt to become the first juvenile to win the race since 1978.
(NOTE: The Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint is restricted to runners 3-years-old and older. Should The Platinum Queen win Sunday's race, connections would be permitted to transfer the waived entry fees for her to start in another Breeders' Cup juvenile race based on the requisite conditions.)
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