Ace Impact won the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), Europe's premier middle-distance test Sunday at ParisLongchamp, after taking on the front-runners in midstretch at such speed that no opponent could match strides.
A Jean-Claude Rouget trainee ridden by Cristian Demuro, favorite Ace Impact passed the post almost two lengths ahead of runner-up Westover. Onesto was third in the field of 15.
With Sunday's victory, Ace Impact earned an automatic fees-paid berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita via the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In.
Japanese competitor Through Seven Seas took fourth place in the Arc by a good length ahead of Doncaster's St. Leger (G1) winner Continuous, both horses having been bred in Japan.
Earlier this season, Ace Impact, who was unraced at age 2, captured the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (G1) (French Derby) in a record time. The 3-year-old son of Cracksman covered the Arc's 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) in 2:25.50 on turf rated as good to soft and is undefeated in six career starts.
Ace Impact was born in Ireland but raised in France by Mrs. Waltraut Spanner. Rouget bought the colt, who is out of the Anabaa Blue mare Absolutly, for €75,000 at the Deauville yearling sales, where he was presented by Élise Drouet's Domaine de l'Étang. He is campaigned by Serge Stempniak and the Chehboub family.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe Quotes:
Jean-Claude Rouget (trainer, Ace Impact, 1st): “He wins as usual, with the same tactics. He's an extraordinary horse, a crack horse. He leaves us speechless. He had a clear journey and his great action did the rest. It's simply extraordinary. He is very sensitive.
“The big winner today is…Kamel Chehboub, who dared to buy half of Ace Impact, although he does not have a classic pedigree, as well as Horizon Doré. He has the two best 3-year-old foals in France!”
Cristian Demuro (Ace Impact jockey, 1st):
“I got closer on the false straight. The horse was very relaxed and I know that when he is like that, as soon as you press the button, he flies away!”
Serge Stempniak (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “I was relatively calm and, like Ace Impact, I tensed up in the last ten minutes. And, from now on, I'm like the foal in the winner's circle (laughs)! The tension has gone down but I don't realize it, I think. I would need a few days, a bit like during the Jockey Club. He is truly impressive and I believe he is very intelligent. Yes, he tenses up but because he knows he has a job to do and he does it very well! Today the planets were aligned. I was just afraid that Cristian would get injured yesterday or that he wouldn't stay in the saddle today!”
Kamel Chehboub (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “It's done ! I would like to thank Jean-Claude Rouget, who did an extraordinary job. I also say thank you to my family, who have been investing for 25 years and it is thanks to them that we are here today. I hope we gave everyone a lot of fun today. I am certain that he will have a great career as a stallion in France.”
Pauline Chehboub (co-owner of Ace Impact, 1st): “It's a dream come true. We had a lot of pressure today. We are very proud to be able to offer, when the time comes, this crack to French breeders at our Beaumont stud farm. For the rest, we will let him recover before deciding on his future program.”
Raph Beckett (trainer, Westover, 2nd): “He slackened a little in the boxes and it took an effort to get a good place in the peloton. The host set his pace. But I think we are simply beaten by a better horse than us. We could never have finished ahead of Ace Impact. Westover can be proud of its second place. One day he will win his big race. I'm thinking about the Breeders' Cup Turf now. It's very tempting. He likes to travel, we saw him in Dubai. It was a good idea to run the Arc, but we were beaten by a very good horse.”
Fabrice Chappet (Onesto coach, 3rd): “I did say that his last outing, in Ireland, in the Irish Champion Stakes (G1), did not count. Except for this occasion, Onesto has always done all his shopping, without necessarily being very happy each time. Today he found himself far away but he had a good race in the wake of the winner. He finishes very close to second, it's great. But unfortunately, horses that carry three kilos more (as 4 year olds) go slower… For the future, it would be logical to go and compete in a Breeders' Cup.”
Tomohito Ozeki (trainer of Through Seven Sea, 4th): “His jockey Christophe Lemaire imagined a race without a lot of train and wanted to place the mare as close as possible to the lead. She didn't come out of the stalls very well and therefore had a bit of ground to rebuild. I'm quite happy with her race, she finished well. The rest of his program will be decided upon his return to Japan. She should run another time or two this year.”
Aidan O'Brien (trainer of Continuous, 5th): “We are really happy with the run of Continuous. He drew a very nice straight line. He appreciated the good terrain. We will see with his owners but he could go to the Japan Cup (G1). Hong Kong and Dubai are also possibilities. He is a horse that travels well. He should still progress at 4 years old.”
Lanfranco Dettori (jockey Free Wind jockey, 13th): “I had a golden journey for my last Arc. I didn't have too many illusions before the race. It's a great moment and I'm very proud to have ridden this exceptional race 34 times. It's a record that will stand.”
The post ‘Simply Extraordinary’: Ace Impact Stays Unbeaten With Arc Victory, Earns Breeders’ Cup Berth appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
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