Ace Impact (5/2 favourite) dominates quality Arc field, beating Westover, Onesto and Through Seven Seas at ParisLongchamp; Opera Singer is devasating in Marcel Boussac; Rosallion cut to 14/1 for the 2000 Guineas after landing the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
Sunday 1 October 2023 18:01, UK
Ace Impact delivered one of the all-time great Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe performances as the favourite sprinted clear to win the end-of-season spectacle in Paris.
Sent off at 5/2 after a flawless season which had all been leading up to the mile-and-a-half contest, Jean-Claude Rouget's star, who had been keen in a typically busy parade ring beforehand, was able to settle in a nice position towards the rear of the 15-runner field.
Cristian Demuro always looked confident as British contenders Hukum and Bay Bridge tracked pacemaker Mr Hollywood.
It was Westover who looked like delivering the strongest challenge of the leading group, with Japanese runner Through Seven Seas making a notable move from the rear.
All the while, Ace Impact made steady progress down the outside and when asked for a serious effort from Demuro, the three-year-old went up through the gears and pulled clear to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths.
Ralph Beckett's Westover just held off Onesto for second, ahead of Through Seven Seas, Continuous and Bay Bridge.
Rouget said: "I won with Sottsass three years ago, it was incredible because I started in Pau a long time ago. It's a long way [journey of training career] and two Arcs in four years is fantastic."
He added: "I am like a very backward horse and I am just maturing now. So I hope I have a few good years again in front of me.
"I know how I started with jumpers and very bad Flat horses. With Millkom it was the first sign of a Classic career in 1994 and after we won with Le Havre and Stacelita and now we have a very strong stable.
"Thank you to all of my team. I have two teams now, one in Pau and one in Deauville. There is a lot of work always in a serious, serious way.
"We always say they are the best when they win, I think it is his strong acceleration. It is something I have never seen.
"I don't know if he will go straight to the stud or run next year. It will be decided between the two owners and me, but I don't know yet."
There was no fairytale finish for Frankie Dettori as his final Arc ride Free Wind, a double-figure price, came home in 13th.
"I had no pressure today, I didn't feel it," said Dettori, who will retire at the end of the year.
"I got a lovely slot behind Westover, I knew he would take me there. When he got to the straight they quickened a little bit and left me there, but I really enjoyed it. The Arc has been a great race for me, it has been a good journey, but I'm bowing out with a smile on my face."
Dettori, who plans to hang up his saddle after riding at Hong Kong's International meeting in December, bows out the winner of six Arcs - making him the most successful rider in the race's glorious history.
Opera Singer delivered a stunning performance on the biggest stage as she dominated the Group One Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac.
Aidan O'Brien's filly looked to be facing a tough test from Karl Burke's Darnation but, when asked by Ryan Moore to stretch away, she did just that in impressive style to win by five lengths from Rose Bloom and Les Pavots.
Bookmakers immediately cut Opera Singer to be 6/1 favourite for the 1000 Guineas next year.
O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing: "She's a lovely filly and has been coming forward every week. We knew when she stepped up to a mile the last day that she'd grown. She's very classy.
"She's a big, natural and easy-going filly and Ryan gave her a beautiful ride.
"We think she'll get a mile-and-a-quarter well so she's going to be very exciting."
Rosallion (9/2) roared back to winning ways to start Arc day off in style in the Group One Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
After looking like a star in waiting when shooting clear at Ascot in July, Richard Hannon's Blue Point colt disappointed on soft ground in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last month after going off 4/5 favourite.
Hannon and his rider Sean Levey retained their faith in the two-year-old and pitched him in against French favourite Beauvatier and a pair of O'Brien contenders - Unquestionable and Henry Adams.
Levey looked confident as he settled Rosallion near the rear, delivering a well-timed challenge down the outside to beat Unquestionable in second, Beauvatier in third and Henry Adams fourth.
Sky Bet cut Rosallion from 25/1 to 14/1 for next year's 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.
"It took a lot of braveness to bring him here today on the back of a disappointing run last time and with the risk of not getting good ground," Levey told Sky Sports Racing.
"We always thought he was a good horse and the ground was definitely the reason he ran as badly as he did last time.
"We were a bit worried about the draw so he's done really well to win from stall 10.
"I've always thought of him as a Guineas horse and we've been going through this year with that in mind."
Blue Rose Cen bloomed once again at ParisLongchamp as she repelled the challenge of Jackie Oh to win the Prix de l'Opera Longines.
Winner of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane earlier in the season, Blue Rose Cen came unstuck at the hands of the reopposing Al Husn when only fourth in the Nassau at Goodwood, while she had to settle for fifth in the Prix Vermeille last month.
However, Christopher Head's filly regained the winning thread in this 10-furlong contest, although the O'Brien-trained Jackie Oh made her pull out all the stops.
The pair were neck and neck inside the final furlong, but Blue Rose Cen kept finding a bit extra for Aurelian Lemaitre and shaded the verdict on the line, with Lumiere Rock in third.
Betfair make Blue Rose Cen - who won the Prix Marcel Boussac on last year's Arc card - a 4/1 chance from 8s for next month's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and while Head is unsure she will make the trip a four-year-old campaign is on the cards.
