As the flat racing season gradually draws to a close, there is still the small matter of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which takes place at Longchamp at the beginning of October, boasting a sensational prize pot of €5 million. At a distance of one mile, three furlongs and 204 yards, and with a line-up of top-quality contenders each year, the ‘Arc’ as it’s affectionately called is one of the most difficult races to win, and it’s every jockey and trainer’s dream to land a victory in Paris.
There are a number of horses being hotly tipped for victory in the Betdaq horse racing tips, but what about the contenders that offer a bit more value in the betting market? Sometimes, a horse can come from nowhere to steal the show, so we’ve put together a short list of a few outside bets for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Read on and see if any of our selections take your fancy.
Deep Bond
Considered a 16/1 shot for victory in the Arc, Deep Bond is the shortest-priced horse on our list, but the four-year-old’s odds have been slashed since winning the Qatar Prix Foy at Longchamp earlier this month. That made it two wins out of the last three for the Ryuji Okubo-trained colt, and it’s no surprise that some are fancying Deep Bond to do well in the Arc next month.
Love
What about Love? For a while the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly was the talk of flat racing, but after a disappointing run of three straight losses since winning the Prince of Wales’ Stakes, she is no longer particularly fancied for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Love certainly has the ability to take the race by storm though, and at a price of 25/1, she could be a tempting flutter.
O’Brien has two prior wins in the Arc, with Dylan Thomas in 2007 and Found in 2016, and he’ll be hoping to make it a hat-trick this year, although Snowfall is considered more likely than Love to land the victory for the Irish trainer.
Alenquer
Coming off the back of a third-place finish in the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp and a second-place finish in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York, Alenquer could well be building up towards a memorable victory in the Arc. The bookies don’t seem to think so, with the three-year-old priced at 25/1 ahead of the Longchamp showpiece.
Earlier this season, the William Haggas-trained colt secured successive wins at Sandown and Ascot respectively, and from his recent showings, that winning form doesn’t seem to be too far from the surface for Alenquer.
Santa Barbara
Another O’Brien horse who could make an impact at Longchamp is Santa Barbara. The three-year-old is heading to Paris with two successive wins in the bank, having tasted victory in the United States in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes at Belmont Park and in the Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park.
At a price of 33/1, it’ll take a miracle for Santa Barbara to win the Arc, but with the momentum gained from those victories, and the unpredictability of the season so far, you never know what could happen.