St Leger hero Continuous and German Derby winner Fantastic Moon have both been supplemented for Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
Continuous, trained by Aidan O’Brien, landed the final British Classic of the season with a two-and-three-quarter-length victory in Doncaster’s St Leger, a performance that sparked conversations about his late inclusion in the Arc.
Those plans have come to fruition and he will fly the flag for Coolmore in the ParisLongchamp Group One, where he will be joined by a German contender in Sarah Steinberg’s Fantastic Moon.
The German Derby victor took a key Arc trial in the Prix Niel, a Group Two run over the Arc course and distance, but was ruled out of the big race on account of the likely occurrence of soft ground in Paris on Sunday.
Autumn in France has been warm and dry so far, however, causing connections to set aside Japan Cup and Breeders’ Cup aims and supplement their Sea The Moon colt for a shot at the Arc.
The field is currently headed by Jean-Claude Rouget’s Ace Impact, the unbeaten market leader, with Owen Burrows’ Hukum the second favourite.
Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz battled bravely, but were unable to deny Canada, who registered a 2-1 scoreline in second-leg action of the Concacaf Olympic Qualifying playoff, on their return home at a sold-out BMO Field in Toronto, on Tuesday.
Unlike the first leg at Jamaica’s National Stadium where they were easy 2-0 winners, Canada, the reigning Olympic champions, came from behind on this occasion, to wrap up a 4-1 aggregate win and join United States as the confederation’s representatives in next year’s Paris Games.
Cloe Lacasse (39th) and substitute Jordyn Huitema (50th), did the damage for Bev Priestman’s side, after Drew Spence’s 33rd-minute strike offered Lorne Donaldson and his Reggae Girlz a glimmer of hope.
While Canada, by virtue of the win, also confirmed the second automatic spot in the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup, the Jamaicans will have to quickly regain their confidence for meetings with Panama and Guatemala next month, which represents their opportunity to secure Gold Cup qualification.
Tuesday’s task for was always expected to be a difficult one for the Reggae Girlz, as Canada, playing at home for the first time in over a year, were brimming with confidence on the back of a two-goal advantage from the first leg.
Though Donaldson ringed in the changes, five to be exact, with talismanic striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw and Jody Brown, out with injuries, it meant little to the Canadians, who went about business in a no-nonsense manner.
They required only two minutes to fire the first warning shot, as Adriana Leon unleashed from just outside the 18-yard box, but the effort was swallowed up by Rebecca Spencer, who produced another workmanlike performance in goal for Jamaica.
As Canada continued to show enterprise and mounted early pressure, the Reggae Girlz held their own defensively, as they ensured the opponent’s hunt for goals turned out fruitless at that point.
In fact, the Jamaicans were not without hope on the attacking front, and it was one of their occasional push forward that resulted in the opening goal.
Atlanta Primus’s initial effort from a distance was handled at the top of the arc by a defender and it was left for Spence to step up and convert a delightful free kick beating Kailen Sheridan diving full stretch to her right.
Canada launched a series of attacks in their probe for the equalizer and almost pulled level in the 35th, as a corner kick taken by Leon was headed on by Deneisha Blackwood. Fortunately for the Jamaican left-back, the crossbar was in the way.
The host again went close when Ashley Lawrence drove a stinging right-footer from a distance that Spencer tipped unto the crossbar and Primus, who dropped back to assist with defending, forced the ball out for a corner.
Leon served up a perfectly weighted delivery from the resulting corner and Lacasse rose above her markers to head home from close range to make it 1-1 heading into the break.
Though the Reggae Girlz were chasing the game, the manner in which they came out on the resumption said otherwise.
As such, their hopes of mounting a comeback were dented five minutes in, when Blackwood’s unforced error, allowed Lawrence to float a cross in for unmarked substitute Huitema to nod home.
Canada should have added another in the 62nd as another defensive error by captain Allyson Swaby, allowed another substitute, Christine Sinclair through on goal, but the legendary striker failed to add to her 190-goal tally, as her effort went straight at Spencer.
In the 72nd, Sinclair again found space in the 18-yard box for a right-footer that went just wide of the left upright.
The Girlz tried to play their game but were unable to cause any real problems in the attacking third. Instead, it was Canada, who asserted authority in the latter stages, and it took another big save from Spencer, who left her line well, to deny 19-year-old substitute Olivia Smith in time added.
November 30, 2022 is forever etched in Anya Pilgrim's mind. It is one of the scariest days of her life and a day when all her fears and thoughts will always weigh heavily on her heart.
On that fateful day, Pilgrim, while preparing to represent University of Florida in Artistic Gymnastics, suffered a freak accident, which derailed her career progress, as she took her time to recover.
Now almost one year on, the American-born Pilgrim, who represents Barbados, has not only grown stronger, but is also one who takes her life and sport seriously, as her unwavering commitment to fulfilling a passion she always dreamed of, is clear for all to see.
"This past season had some ups and downs. At the beginning of the season after signing to the University of Florida, I had fell and landed on my neck and was out of the gym for about six weeks and had to recover from a concussion. It was not an easy road. I had to overcome my fears of injury to be able to even step back into the sport," Pilgrim told SportsMax.tv.
"Luckily I did, and only a week after I started training again, I decided to compete at my next competition where I achieved my personal best score of a 9.95 on the vault. So, these highs and lows have taught me that I am strong enough and more than capable of rise above any circumstances and come out successful," she added.
Pilgrim, who previously represented the United States national team in 2019, qualified to represent Barbados through her grandparents, who not only instilled life lessons to assist in her craft, but continues to inspire her path toward a fulfilling career.
"Both of my grandparents were athletes and represented Barbados in their respective sports, so I always looked up to them since they were high level athletes and wanted to follow in their footsteps, which I am now proudly doing," Pilgrim shared.
The 18-year-old, who earned a silver medal in the all-around competition at the United States National championships, along with a top five finish at the Nastia Liukin Cup, first donned the Barbados colours at PanAm championships in Colombia and from there, her appetite for more competition with the Caribbean Island became insatiable.
"It was also the first time Barbados was able to have a team at an event in gymnastics. I loved the experience and competing with my teammates. I was overall pleased with my performance, even though I had a mistake on one of the apparatuses, but considering I went to the competition right after Nationals, I did well, as the travelling resulted in missed training sessions," she said.
Pilgrim's performance at the PanAm Championships earned her an alternate for the World Gymnastics Championships in Budapest, and as fate would have, one of the qualified athletes has declined their spot and that opened the door for her to join Olivia "Storm" Kelly, as Barbados representatives in Antwerp.
The championship is scheduled to begin on September 30 and end on October 8.
Pilgrim knows all too well that this call up to fill the gap represents an opportunity to not only strut her stuff on one of gymnastics biggest stage, but also to possibly qualify for the Olympic Games, she is determined to make the most of it.
In fact, Pilgrim, having taken lessons from her PanAm performance, is hoping to polish up those errors to bring more success on this occasion.
"I am very grateful to have another opportunity to represent Barbados and am really looking forward to getting to share the experience with Olivia. We all had a great time at PanAm so I’m glad we will have another chance to not only compete together, but possibly create some history for Barbados," Pilgrim declared.
"Unlike PanAm, I am hoping to do much better with my routimes and just be present and enjoy every moment of the championships. When my mind is clear I perform at my best and I also added in a couple of different skills to help increase my scores. So, I'm really looking forward to it," she added from her base in Belgium.
While qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris, remains her biggest goal and ambition, Pilgrim pointed out that just getting a chance to parade her skills at the World Championships, would suffice, if her dream doesn't come to fruition.
"Honestly, I would love to win a National Championship at the University of Florida, that is one of my biggest goals, along with being at the World Championships, which I am now. If I were to qualify for an Olympic Games, it would be icing on the cake of a fulfilling career," she ended.
The unbeaten In The Headlines uncorked a huge win in Monday’s Trinidad Derby to become the first filly ever to complete the Triple Crown at Santa Rosa Park.
As the 8-5 second choice, In the Headlines took control down the backstretch and easily repelled a late challenge from stablemate and 1-5 favourite Hello World to score by 1-1/2 lengths in the TT$115,222 (US$17,022) Classic.
It was a fourth-consecutive Derby win for champion trainer John O’Brien, while jockey Rico Hernandez celebrated his first.
In the Headlines, who scored big wins in the earlier Triple Crown legs – the Guineas and the Midsummer Classic – clocked two minutes 10.72 seconds for the 10-furlong trip.
The result also gave O’Brien his third Triple Crown win overall and second in four years after Momentum in 2014 and Wise Guy in 2020.
Owen Burrows considers Hukum’s light campaign to be a help and not a hindrance ahead of his bid for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
The Shadwell-owned colt has been seen just twice this year, winning the Brigadier Gerard Stakes after almost a year off the track when making his seasonal debut in May.
He defeated Derby hero Desert Crown on that occasion and subsequently side-stepped Royal Ascot as the ground was unsuitably quick.
That left the horse off the track for 65 days when he lined up for a hugely-competitive renewal of the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but the absence did nothing to stop him edging out Ralph Beckett’s Westover by a head in thrilling finish.
There will be gap of a similar length between that performance and Sunday’s race and with the bay proven to go well fresh, Burrows has few concerns about his sparse season.
He said: “I’m more than happy to bring him in off the back of his King George win, he’s proven as he won first time in Dubai last year on Super Saturday.
“He won the Brigadier Gerard and then we weren’t able to run at Royal Ascot as the ground was a bit quick, so he went to the King George after a bit of a break.
“He’s obviously a horse who runs well fresh and we’re confident we can get him there in a good spot.”
Burrows has been satisfied with Hukum’s work since he was last seen on track, and is especially pleased with how he seems to be thriving at six after a serious injury robbed him of a year of racing following his 2022 Coronation Cup victory.
“We’ve been very pleased with him, obviously that (the King George) was at the end of July so he’s had a nice easy couple of weeks after that,” the trainer said.
“We’ve had a nice amount of time to slowly bring him up for this very important race now.
“I think it’s pretty obvious to see with his form this year that he is better than ever, it looked last season like he was on the up when he won the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
“Unfortunately he picked up his injury there, which stopped his season, but from an early stage this year when we started working him again, he showed all his old enthusiasm and his work was better than ever.
“For whatever reason he looks as though he’s found a bit from somewhere this year, he was able to win the Brigadier Gerard over a mile and a quarter. He certainly is as as good as ever.”
Antigua and Barbuda Netball Association (ABNA) President Karen Joseph believes the home team is on the improve as they prepare to stage the ECCB Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) International Netball series this weekend.
Currently ranked at 33rd in the world, Antigua and Barbuda are rated below several of their rivals in the 10-team World Netball (WN) approved tournament, but Joseph anticipates a good showing from her squad.
“I was looking for specific aspects where the girls are concerned and I am now seeing it in terms of the commitment and the serious part of them, also, the fitness part of it,” said Joseph, who is also part of the Antigua and Barbuda coaching staff.
The tournament, featuring Barbados and Cayman Islands as guest teams, starts on Saturday at the YMCA Sports Complex. Antigua and Barbuda will tackle Dominica in their opening game.
“All the umpires are from the INF pool. Because it’s a rankings tournament you have umpires from England and all over. Also, Barbados is onboard and they have been onboard for the past two years in an effort to help out the OECS in terms of us advancing in the rankings. Cayman Islands is also on board, so when [we] play against those teams, even though they may win the game we still advance in our rankings because of their higher ranking in the world,” she said on the Good Morning Jojo sports show.
St Vincent and the Grenadines are defending champions.
Former Captain Stafanie Taylor says the West Indies Women will need to emphasize spending time in the middle to have any chance of competing with Australia when the pair lock horns in three T20Is and three ODIs beginning on Sunday at North Sydney Oval.
The team is coming off a pair of home series wins against Ireland in July (2-0 in the ODIs and 3-0 in the T20Is) and will look to take that momentum into Australia.
A big reason for those series wins was the team’s batting. The first ODI saw the hosts bat the full 50 overs to post their second highest ODI score ever, 297-6, before successfully defending it.
The third ODI also saw an impressive performance with the bat, losing only four wickets and needing only 41.3 overs to chase down 203.
The T20s were no different with the West Indians securing a pair of eight wicket wins as well as a tense two wicket victory.
From an individual standpoint, after a rough few years due to a persistent back injury, Taylor enjoyed a welcome return to form during the ODI series.
She made scores of 55 and 79* in her two innings and is looking to continue that form against the current World Champions.
“I’ve been feeling really good for some time. The injury would’ve definitely slowed me down a little bit but it’s nice that I’ve been working hard to get my body back up and it’s been really good,” she said in a press conference ahead of Sunday’s series opener.
“For me, it’s trying to get myself back to the top and spending some time at the crease is going to be crucial because I find that once I’m able to do that, I know runs will come. I just have to believe in myself,” she added.
Just like in the Ireland series, the team will be a good mixture of youth and experience with some players who took part in the most recent ICC Under-19 Women’s World Cup as well as the CWI Regional Under-19 Women’s Tournament.
The 32-year-old complimented the youngsters before emphasizing that it is up to veterans like herself to help them achieve their full potential.
“I think we have a good crop of young players coming through. We’ve seen them in the Under-19 World Cup and it’s been really good so far where we have our Under-19 tournament that recently concluded in Trinidad and a lot of those U19s have been integrating with the senior team. You saw that in the recently concluded Ireland series,” Taylor said.
“Having them in the system, it’s for us to try an impart that knowledge that we have onto them and this series is going to be crucial for them but also it’s a learning experience and you don’t want to burden them too much,” she added.
As the most experienced member of the team, Taylor also provided insight relating to conversations she has had with the younger players in the team or players who haven’t yet played in Australia.
“Well I haven’t played here in a long time to be fair but, from what I’ve known is that Australian wickets tend to be a bit bouncy. It might be worth playing a bit late especially with the pace of the fast bowlers. I’ve played a few times at North Sydney and it’s a good wicket. I think the wickets here are going to be really good for batting. Spending time at the crease will be crucial if we want to score runs,” Taylor said.
This series will also be the first opportunity for new head coach Shane Deitz to take charge of the regional side.
In his own introductory press conference a few weeks ago, Deitz proclaimed that he wanted to bring a new attacking brand of cricket to the West Indies Women.
Taylor says that discussion hasn’t taken place quite yet.
“We’ve only had one practice session so far. We haven’t really had a meeting to discuss how we’re going to play or what it’s going to look like for this series. The first game is Sunday and we just had a meeting to welcome everyone and had a light practice session just to have a feel of things,” she said.
Foniska made every yard of the running to take home Listed honours in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Navigation Stakes at Cork.
Trained by Jessica Harrington and ridden by Shane Foley, Foniska was sent off a 12-1 for the mile prize having last been seen when beating only one horse home in the Sandringham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
That run came on quick ground, but conditions were much more testing at Cork, with Foniska relishing the challenge to come home three lengths clear of Snapraeterea and Clever And Cool beaten a further two and a quarter lengths in third.
Foley felt a combination of front-running tactics and soft to heavy ground had played to the Galileo filly’s strengths.
He said: “She has enjoyed making the running in the past. She had a good run in the Salsabil in Navan on deep ground and I think the key to her is ground.
“She went to Ascot when the ground was very firm and came back sore, but Mrs Harrington and (daughter and assistant) Kate have done a good job to get her back.
“Her work has really come on in the last couple of weeks and we were quietly confident coming down today, with the ground the way it was. I liked the way she picked up between the three (furlong pole) and the two and even down to the one again. She kept quickening and gave me a feel.”
Foniska sports the colours of the Niarchos family’s Flaxman Stables and Foley added: “I think she is improving and I don’t know if she’s in the (owner’s) dispersal sale or not, but if she stays in training, she will definitely compete in those better races next year on soft ground.
“Jessie will be delighted as the Niarchos family are massive supporters of our yard and it is a good time to be having good winners with the sales on.”
Course officials are expecting good to soft ground for both days of this weekend’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting at ParisLongchamp.
Conditions were described as very soft when Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista claimed victory in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest 12 months ago, while the going was heavy when Torquator Tasso caused a huge upset for Germany in 2021.
Testing terrain also prevailed for the Arc triumphs of Sottsass in 2020 and Waldgeist in 2019, meaning this weekend’s ground is likely to be the quickest it has been for Arc day since Enable successfully defended her crown in 2018 – the first renewal staged following ParisLongchamp’s redevelopment.
Charles de Cordon, clerk of the course at ParisLongchamp, said: “We are preparing for a very big weekend for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. I would like to point out that the track is new, having not been used since July 14, because on the day of the Qatar Arc Trials the rail was at nine metres, so we now have eight metres of new ground for the weekend.
“Since the Arc trials we have aerated the track with a mechanical spiker, which means there is better water infiltration. We also did some mechanical seeding to densify the turf and the turf has been rolled in order to get a smooth track.
“This week it is mainly just maintaining the track. It was mowed on Monday, it will be mowed on Wednesday and for the last time on Friday so that the grass has a height of 10 centimetres.
“The track is in very good condition.”
The official going on Tuesday was described as soft – but with little or no rainfall forecast for the coming days and no plans to water in place, conditions are expected to dry out slightly between now and the start of racing on Saturday.
De Cordon added: “The weather forecast is for our nicest days today and tomorrow and then from Thursday onwards temperatures will drop again.
“It is drying, but it is drying very slowly because we have a very heavy dew in the morning and it evaporates very slowly.
“For the weekend we believe that the ground is going to be good to soft. I get a lot of questions about whether we are going to water the track and that is not the case – we are not watering the track for Saturday nor for Sunday.
“There is a 25 per cent chance that it might rain on Thursday and Friday, but it will be very little – somewhere between zero and two millimetres, which will not make any difference to the track.”
George Boughey will wait until later in the week before deciding whether to send Cachet to France for Sunday’s Prix de la Foret or wait for the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket the following Saturday.
Last season’s 1000 Guineas heroine did not run between Royal Ascot last summer and this year’s St Leger Festival at Doncaster, an absence totalling exactly 15 months.
The Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned filly could finish only fourth in the Group Three Sceptre Stakes on Town Moor, but Boughey was far from discouraged given the length of her absence and the fact underfoot conditions were more testing than ideal.
Having been pleased with what he saw from his Classic winner in a racecourse gallop on the Rowley Mile on Tuesday, Boughey is not ruling out a trip across the Channel for a Group One assignment on Arc weekend – but will be keeping an eye on the weather before making a final call.
“I was pleased with Cachet this morning and she is a lot tighter than she was on her seasonal debut. Mathematically she is a lot fitter on the scales,” said the Newmarket handler.
“The plan had been to go to France for the Foret as she would have loved the seven furlongs around the bend there and there is a stronger favourite in the Sun Chariot (Inspiral) than the Foret.
“However, the weather looks like scuppering that so we will probably aim her at the Sun Chariot now.
“The ground was too soft for her at Doncaster and hopefully it will be much quicker at Newmarket. We know she stays the mile and she should run well.”
Another Boughey-trained filly to be put through her paces on the Rowley Mile on Tuesday was Soprano, who will be stepped up to Group One level in Saturday’s Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes.
Although winless since making an impressive start to her career at Newmarket in May, the daughter of Starspangledbanner has since been placed in the Albany at Royal Ascot, the Star Stakes at Sandown, the Sweet Solera at Newmarket and the Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury.
With regular work rider Charles Eddery in the saddle, Soprano looked the part in her morning gallop and Boughey feels she merits a place in the Cheveley Park field.
He said: “I’m delighted with her. She worked with a decent four-year-old that is a five-furlong horse rated in the 90s and she showed plenty of pace.
“Charles Eddery, who rides her regularly, was delighted with her so it is all systems go to the Cheveley Park. She looks better than ever.
“She is a very balanced filly, which is so key at Newmarket, and she won on her debut at the track. I think she has got to have a lively chance.”
Christopher Head’s Big Rock will head to British shores for the first time to contest the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot.
The colt racked up a four-race winning streak earlier in the year that carried him from an all-weather handicap to victory in the Group Three Prix de Guiche.
That run then paved the way to the Group One Prix du Jockey Club, where he was beaten three and half lengths behind the well-fancied Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe contender Ace Impact.
Two more second-placed runs followed as Big Rock dropped back to a mile, finishing behind Inspiral in the Prix Jacques le Marois and Sauterne in the Prix du Moulin.
Now Big Rock could make his first start outside of France in the Group One QEII on October 21.
“He’s doing fine, he came out of the Prix du Moulin very well and he’s aiming for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes,” Head said.
“He has done some very nice work and everything’s all right, he’s a horse that has needed a bit of time between races and I’m very happy to have had that kind of break between the Moulin at Longchamp and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
“We have him back fresh and everything, so I think he will be more than interesting for his next race.
“Heavy ground is not a problem, whatever the ground does, it is not a problem for him.”
One horse from the Head stable that will not be seen again this term is Ramatuelle, a two-year-old filly by Justify who has enjoyed a highly successful juvenile campaign.
The chestnut has won three of her five runs this season and was the runner-up both times when beaten, with her successes including the Group Three Prix du Bois and the Group Two Prix Robert Papin.
Most recently she was defeated in the Prix Morny, a Group One in which she went down by just a short neck to the highly-regarded Vandeek.
That run was the last of the year for Ramatuelle, who will return for her three-year-old campaign in 2024.
“The owners have decided that she has had a very nice two-year-old season and they want to have a 100 per cent chance with her at three,” Head explained.
“They have decided not to run her again this season, she will be back next year in spring.”
George Boughey is readying his Classic heroine Cachet for a tilt at the Prix de la Foret at ParisLongchamp this weekend following a pleasing workout on the Rowley Mile on Tuesday morning.
Last season’s 1000 Guineas heroine did not run between Royal Ascot last summer and this year’s St Leger Festival at Doncaster, an absence totalling exactly 15 months.
The Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned filly could finish only fourth in the Group Three Sceptre Stakes on Town Moor, but Boughey was far from discouraged given the length of her absence and the fact underfoot conditions were more testing than ideal.
In the immediate aftermath of that effort the Newmarket handler was in favour of sending Cachet back to the scene of her Guineas triumph for the Sun Chariot Stakes on Saturday week, but the likelihood of a sound surface in Paris this weekend has prompted a change of plan.
“I was pleased with Cachet this morning and she is a lot tighter than she was on her seasonal debut. Mathematically she is a lot fitter on the scales,” said Boughey.
“The ground looks like it will be decent in France and that is where we are leaning towards at the moment, plus there is a stronger favourite in the Sun Chariot (Inspiral) than in the Foret.
“The ground was too soft for her at Doncaster, but it should be a lot better in France at the weekend. It could end up raining in Newmarket and I don’t want to miss a chance like this.
“She will like the seven furlongs around the bend at Longchamp and we will make plenty of use of her. She is in good form and should run well.”
Another Boughey-trained filly to be put through her paces on the Rowley Mile on Tuesday was Soprano, who will be stepped up to Group One level in Saturday’s Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes.
Although winless since making an impressive start to her career at Newmarket in May, the daughter of Starspangledbanner has since been placed in the Albany at Royal Ascot, the Star Stakes at Sandown, the Sweet Solera at Newmarket and the Dick Poole Fillies’ Stakes at Salisbury.
With regular work rider Charles Eddery in the saddle, Soprano looked the part in her morning gallop and Boughey feels she merits a place in the Cheveley Park field.
He said: “I’m delighted with her. She worked with a decent four-year-old that is a five-furlong horse rated in the 90s and she showed plenty of pace.
“Charles Eddery, who rides her regularly, was delighted with her so it is all systems go to the Cheveley Park. She looks better than ever.
“She is a very balanced filly, which is so key at Newmarket, and she won on her debut at the track. I think she has got to have a lively chance.”
Feed The Flame will bid to give veteran trainer Pascal Bary a long-awaited victory in Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
Bary has handled a host of top-class runners during his lengthy career, sending out Classic winners in France, Britain and Ireland as well as saddling three Breeders’ Cup winners.
However, he has yet to taste success in the crown jewel of French racing, with Sulamani coming closest when finishing a three-quarter-length second to Marienbard in 2002 after Croco Rouge finished third behind Montjeu in 1999.
The Chantilly-based handler has plenty of faith in his challenger this year though, with Feed The Flame having made huge strides since his racecourse bow in April, finishing fourth to the reopposing Ace Impact in the Prix du Jockey Club before going on to land the Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc course and distance in July.
While he had to settle for second place behind Fantastic Moon in his Prix Niel trial earlier this month, Bary believes the Kingman colt might find conditions more to his liking on Sunday.
He said: “He’s a very good horse, he has a very good temperament and he gets the mile and a half really, really well. I think on the day of the Arc, the ground will be slightly different and he will be more comfortable on that ground.
“Anything a bit softer than the ground he encountered in the Jockey Club, Grand Prix de Paris and Prix Niel would be appreciated.”
Feed The Flame was beaten two and a half lengths by Fantastic Moon – who could yet be supplemented for Sunday’s race – and Bary felt the decision to field King Of Records as a pacemaker perhaps played into the winner’s hands.
He explained: “I think I made a mistake by running a pacemaker because he worked much more for the German horse than he did for us. It’s not an easy race to run in because to bring a horse on from July 14 to the beginning of September, there’s not a lot of time.
“Christophe (Soumillon) sort of asked him when he came down into the false straight but at that point on that good ground, the German horse had taken off and Christophe was intelligent enough to just let the horse finish his race because he actually was probably missing a bit of work before he went into the race.
“The aim was not to have a race that was going to be too hard, but at the moment he was so far behind in the final straight, Christophe actually judged it was too late to ask him for a massive effort to bring him closer to the leader.”
Waiting tactics are usually employed on Feed The Flame and Bary does not anticipate any change to the plan in the Arc, even though he is likely to encounter the biggest field of his career to date, with 14 currently in contention after Sprewell dropped out at Tuesday’s second forfeit stage.
Bary said: “He’s a horse that knows how to accelerate and you have to ride him to his strengths. We have to adapt to the horse, he’s not going to adapt to us. In a race with a lot of pace and runners, this should not be an issue.
“If he is to the back of the field, there’s enough time to come forward. When he ran in the Jockey Club, Ace Impact was behind him and came through so he’s obviously the horse to beat. I don’t know much about the opposition but if Ace Impact can come forward, Feed The Flame is capable of accelerating.”
Feed The Flame is owned by Jean-Louis Bouchard and Bary is delighted to have a live contender for a long-standing ally.
He added: “It’s amazing that we have such a good horse towards the end of my career. Jean-Louis is very positive, we go to the race together and it’s a great opportunity.
“If he doesn’t win this year, he will win next year!”
Jean-Claude Rouget is in confident mood ahead of Ace Impact’s bid for glory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.
It has been quite the rise through the ranks for the son of Cracksman, who did not see the racecourse as a two-year-old and made his debut in the low-key surroundings of Cagnes-Sur-Mer in late January.
Another understated success at Bordeaux followed and he has since proved his class by landing a Listed race and the French Derby at Chantilly, before adding the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano to his tally at Deauville in the summer.
Ace Impact is the clear favourite to provide his trainer with a second Arc win following the success of Sottsass three years ago and while taking nothing for granted, Rouget feels there are no negatives.
“Why shouldn’t I be optimistic? I’m coming in with a horse that’s unbeaten,” he said on Tuesday.
“We know in any race anything can happen and we’re coming to the end of the season, but he gets three kilos from the older horses, which is important.
“I’m optimistic in the sense that he goes into the race unbeaten and has done everything we have asked him to so far.”
Following his mid-August triumph at Deauville, Rouget considered running his star colt in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown the following month, while he also had the option of getting a first taste of ParisLongchamp in the Prix Niel.
However, mindful of the fact Ace Impact had been on the go since the beginning of the year, he elected to keep his powder dry for the day that matters most.
Rouget added: “It’s very important that he stays a fresh horse because he started his season very early, which is not the usual start for a Classic horse.
“I didn’t want to run him last year in November, I wanted to wait and he then ran in January, so after he ran in Deauville I preferred to not run him again so that he has some freshness going into the Arc.
“It’s been six weeks (since Deauville) and the six weeks have passed very quickly.”
Ace Impact will be racing over a mile and a half for the first time this weekend, but Rouget does not expect him to be beaten for a lack of stamina, while the fact he has never run on the track is also not a concern for the trainer.
“Obviously we can’t be certain, but with the way he finishes his races and also the fact his sire was a winner over the distance gives us hope that he can stay,” he continued.
“If the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) had been over a mile and a half, as it was in the past, he would have won that.
“Last year Vadeni was in the same place for us and he ran really well (finished second to Alpinista).
“It is very rare I run a horse in the Grand Prix de Paris and after that there was just the Prix Niel, which didn’t hold any interest for me.
“I’m not worried about the course, he’s an easy horse once he’s settled in his race and there are plenty of horses that have won the Arc that also hadn’t run at Longchamp before.
“There was just no opportunity to do so, but it’s not something that bothers me.”
With the weather set fair in Paris for the rest of the week, underfoot conditions look likely to be quicker than is often the case for Europe’s premier middle-distance contest.
Rouget is therefore expecting there to be no excuses on the ground front, adding: “I think it is going to be good for everyone, which is an interesting point about this year’s race.
“In the past the race was often criticised for its heavy ground and the fact horses are tired, but this year I think the ground is going to suit everyone.”
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