Longchamp takes centre stage today with the Arc de Triomphe, Europe’s premier race. If Enable turns up in the form of last year then a follow up success looks likely, but she has had a tricky preparation and there has to be a possibility she will bounce following her recent Kempton comeback. I prefer an each-way alternative. Despite our nap being withdrawn on Saturday, we had an excellent day at Ascot with wins for Raising Sand (advised 6/1) and Erissimus Maximus (advised 14/1).
Of all the recent Arc trials, the performance of Waldgeist stood out. With Enable looking short enough given her interrupted preparation and drying ground, Andre Fabre’s colt looks the solid alternative.
He was a smooth course and distance winner on similar quick ground in the Prix Foy last month and is improving having landed a second Group 1 at Saint-Cloud in July. He has now won four in a row since getting bogged down in the mud on his seasonal reappearance.
He looked top class as a juvenile when winning the Grand Criterium, but had a patchy time of things in 2017. However he was only just beaten in a photo in the French Derby and was reported to have had a few issues in the Irish version and over the few months thereafter. I think he can buck the recent trend of winning fillies in what is generally a sub-standard renewal.
A simple process of elimination means Vosne Romanee looks the one to beat in Kelso’s feature.
His own claims are very sound. An out-and-out two miler who must have fast ground, his options are very limited given his current rating of 146 as there are few races in the summer at his distance for horses of his ability. This is one of them and this sharpish left-handed track is just what he likes. He has produced two comfortable wins around Stratford this summer.
Of his four opponents, Simply Ned makes his usual reappearance in this race, but he has been beaten in the past two years, and is 4lb higher than his defeat in 2017. At the age of eleven he is likely to need his first run more than ever. Nuts Well lacks chasing experience and has been off for almost a year. Vaniteux surely needs a longer trip these days and Theflyingportrait is not in the form of old.