Expert - Bill Esdaile
Bill Esdaile has worked in racing journalism in the United Kingdom for over 20 years. He began his working career at the Sporting Life back in 1995, and has since worked for the Racing Post, The Sportsman, and is currently racing editor of London-based City AM. He is a keen form student, and will bring a unique insight into the major European races.

Expert Column for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Day (S1) (Bill Esdaile)

S1-7     Prix de l’Opera

The G1 Prix de l’Opera, restricted to fillies and mares, offers up a prize of €400,000 as well as an automatic invitation to compete in this year’s Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. G3 Musidora Stakes winner SO MI DAR has missed much of the season through injury, but she made a winning return at Yarmouth earlier in September and has to be given the utmost respect here. The John Gosden-trained filly was the ante post favourite for the G1 Investec Oaks at Epsom before being found lame and her appearance in Sunday’s race is hotly anticipated. She remains unbeaten after four career starts, the most recent three of which have come over the Prix de l’Opera’s 2,000m trip, and she should prove hard to get past.

France isn’t an alien location for the race’s other UK-trained runner, SPEEDY BOARDING. Although she’s never raced at Chantilly, the James Fanshawe-trained four-year-old is two from two in France, having notched wins at Saint Cloud and Deauville this season. Sunday’s unpredictable weather isn’t a worry either, as she has form on ground ranging from good-to-firm to soft. She’s yet to have any success when running in G1 company, though, and is most likely to be fighting it out for the places.

JEMAYEL was a clear third to six-time G1 and Classic winner MINDING in the G1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, before finishing second in a G2 at Deauville, and is likely to lay down a strong challenge. LA CRESSONNIERE, who was considered a major player for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, was the only filly to get the better of her on her latest start and that looks strong form. Right at the beginning of the season she landed her first and only G1 success at Deauville, finishing well clear of the fourth-placed G1 Prix Vermeille winner LEFT HAND. It’s been six years since trainer Jean-Claude Rouget’s last success in this race and JEMAYEL could go close to bridging the gap.

Trainer Jim Bolger is fielding PLEASCACH for the first time this season. On her best form the dual G1 winner could go close. However, she’s been off the track for over a year and it would be a remarkable training performance for her to land a race of this quality on her reappearance.

SEA FRONT has won twice round Chantilly and will be at home on the track, but she was fourth behind SPEEDY BOARDING in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville. She needs to show more to challenge today.

ROYAL SOLITAIRE is the only German representative in the race. The Peter Schiergen-trained daughter of SHAMARDAL is a G2 winner in Germany. Though, like SEA FRONT, she has plenty to find based on her latest seventh behind SPEEDY BOARDING at Deauville.

SELECTIONS: 7. SO MI DAR, 5. JEMAYEL, 3. SPEEDY BOARDING & 2. PLEASCACH

S1-8     Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Renovations at Longchamp mean this year’s edition of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe will be run at the stunning and historical Chantilly. The G1 contest, run over 2,400m, is the highlight of the weekend’s action in France and brings together some of the best horses in the world.

POSTPONED, trained by Roger Varian in England, is likely to go off a short priced favourite as he bids to earn his seventh successive victory. The son of DUBAWI has already won G1 contests at York, Epsom and Meydan this season and will be very hard to beat.

Japanese entry MAKAHIKI beat MIDTERM to land the Prix Niel here last month and is expected by many to be the one to give POSTPONED the most to think about in the final stages. Christophe Lemaire, who was in the saddle for that victory, retains the ride and will be hopeful of giving Japan a first win in a race they respect so much.

It wouldn’t be a G1 contest without Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien entering a handful of serious contenders. FOUND, ORDER OF ST GEORGE and HIGHLAND REEL are all set to take their chance, but it’s the former who looks the most dangerous. FOUND beat GOLDEN HORN in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland just under a year ago and also beat the highly-rated FASCINATING ROCK to land a G3 at the Curragh in May. There’s no doubt she’s a high class filly, and her previous form suggests she saves her best form for this time of year, so she could give O’Brien his second win in this race.

ORDER OF ST GEORGE would be a lot shorter for this race had he not been beaten when a very short price behind WICKLOW BRAVE in the Irish St Leger. Having won six in a row before that defeat, including the G1 Ascot Gold Cup, it would be fair to forgive the son of GALILEO one poor showing. However, he’s dropping back markedly in distance and would ideally like softer ground.

HIGHLAND REEL was an impressive winner of the Hong Kong Vase last December and then landed his third G1 prize in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July. He can’t be ruled out, but he was disappointing in the Irish Champion Stakes last time.

Another bidding to earn Ireland an eighth win in the race is HARZAND for trainer Dermot Weld. The three-year-old would be a lot shorter if not for a poor last run, having finished back in eighth in the Irish Champion Stakes. He had excuses that day, having been knocked into early on and the step up in trip here should play into his hands. But there’s a concern he hasn’t had long to recover and he’ll need the rain to fall if he is to be seen at his best.

Three of the previous four runnings of this race have been won by French trainers and Andre Fabre will be hoping to add to that with NEW BAY. Fabre has a great record in the race having won it a record seven times and this DUBAWI colt finished third in last year’s Arc behind GOLDEN HORN. NEW BAY was fourth in the Irish Champion Stakes a few weeks ago, finishing a couple of spots behind FOUND, and he will have to improve to reverse the form.

LEFT HAND finished second to LA CRESSONNIERE in the Prix de Diane back in June, but she was a huge price and had absolutely no form going into the race. However, she backed up that run with victory in the G1 Prix Vermeille and has certainly earned her place in this race. Three-year-old fillies have a good record in this as they get plenty of weight from their rivals, so she could outrun her odds.

SELECTIONS: 10. FOUND, 2. POSTPONED, 16. LEFT HAND & 14. MAKAHIKI

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