Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe preview

Cape Cross colt Behkabad looks to follow in the footsteps of Sea The Stars and provide his sire with his second consecutive winner of this prestigious race

Twelve months ago, Cape Cross's Sea The Stars confirmed himself as one of the all-time greats with a scintillating victory in one of Europe’s most prestigious races, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Cape Cross (pictured) now has an outstanding chance of siring consecutive winners of the Arc, with his G1-winning son Behkabad due to line up at Longchamp this Sunday afternoon as favourite to win.

Unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile, HH The Aga Khan’s homebred opened his Black type account back in May when landing the G3 Prix de Guiche at Chantilly. Slightly unlucky when fourth behind Shamardal’s Lope de Vega in the Prix du Jockey Club, Behkabad returning to winning ways in sensational style on Bastille Day when beating hot favourite Planteur in the Grand Prix de Paris, run over the same course and distance as the Arc itself. The colt then propelled himself to favouritism for Sunday’s race when landing the G2 Prix Niel on 12 September – a race that has seen four winners go on to succeed in the Arc in the past ten years.

Also due to run in the Arc is King's Best's record-breaking Derby winner Workforce, who landed the Epsom Classic by seven lenghth and in the fastest time ever recorded; plus Shamardal's dual G1-winning son Lope de Vega, who was supplemented for the race on Thursday. Cavalryman (Halling) will also run and enters the race off a third place in the G1 Grosser Preis von Baden. Cavalryman, like Behkabad, took the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at three and was a very creditable third behind Sea The Stars in last year’s race.

While undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of the Longchamp card, the Arc is by no means the only race worth watching, with no fewer than seven G1 contests scheduled to take place.

The Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, France’s most prestigious juvenile contest, will see two sons of first-season sire sensation Iffraaj aim for their first G1 victory, with the unbeaten Wootton Bassett and multiple winner Kind David entered. They could face Titus Mills – one of 14 Stakes winner for Dubawi this year; and Treasury Devil (by Darley America stallion Bernardini) who is also unbeaten.

19 fillies and mares have been entered in the Prix de l’Opera and include the consistent Field Day (Cape Cross) who landed the Listed Valiant Stakes in July en route to a second place in the G3 Prix de Lieury at Deauville last month. G1 German Oaks second Elle Shadow (Shamardal), winner of the G3 Belmondo-Preis last time out, also holds an entry in this ten-furlong contest.

Europe’s top sprinters will clash in the Prix de l’Abbaye and include two Darley-sired runners in Arctic (Shamardal); and Exceed And Excel's three-year-old daughter Piccadilly Filly, who posted a magnificent performance last time out to take third in the G1 Nunthorpe Stakes.