Aga Khan hails strong female Arc challenge The Aga Khan has pinpointed three fillies, including his own Sarafina, as major players in what he considers to be a very different type of Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday. He has been a winner of France's greatest race four times already, most recently with the undefeated filly Zarkava in 2008, but the Aga Khan's family have been linked with the Arc for many preceding years, and the spiritual leader's studs in Ireland and Chantilly are a huge influence on European racing. Despite insisting that potential pacemaker Shareta will be running on her own merits, the Aga Khan's main hope is Sarafina, a luckless third to Workforce in the Arc last year and a cosy winner of the Prix Foy at the same course on trials day. He said: "It is unusual as you do not often see an Arc run on this type of going - I would imagine it would be good ground tomorrow, unless they decide to water again. "I have two runners, Sarafina and Shareta. They each have their own aptitude and are running for their own purpose." Referring to Sarafina and other key contenders Galikova and Snow Fairy, the Aga Khan added: "It's an open race, and there is a much stronger female representation - there are three pretty useful fillies this time, and that's unusual." There has been much discussion about what the ground will be like on Arc day and the turf has been watered regularly during week. A fresh strip of grass will be unveiled for the big occasion and Gerald Mosse and Frankie Dettori, both riding on a baking hot afternoon in Paris on Saturday, described it as "good". But there was something of a disparity of opinion with some French jockeys feeling it was a little softer, but British rider David Probert reported it "quick". Mosse will be aboard Reliable Man, who also comes from the yard of Sarafina's trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre and landed the Prix Niel on trials day. "He has to go against older horses this time, but my horse is well, and we just don't want hard ground," reported the much-travelled Mosse. John Gosden made a late decision to supplement St Leger winner Masked Marvel. "He's in good form and he's a fresh horse going into the autumn," the Newmarket trainer told Channel 4 Racing. "You never know (how much it has taken out of them) when they go and break the track record like he did, going into a headwind, and that race has been run a few times. It tends to take a little bit more out of them. "He's done one nice piece of half-speed work at home and he seemed fine. It (supplementing) seemed the right thing to do. "I hope they've got the ground right and it's not too loose. It's always a worry when you start watering as late as they are, but as long as it's not loose I think he should run a nice race." Japanese raiders have done well in recent years, with El Condor Pasa running the great Montjeu close in 1999. A major on-course gamble went awry on Deep Impact in 2006, but Nakayama Festa got within a head of springing a surprise 12 months ago and is back for more. He is joined by compatriot Hiruno D'Amour, a Grade One winner in his homeland, and both horses performed with credit behind Sarafina in the Prix Foy. The Japan Racing Association's Shingo Soma has been speaking to the connections of both horses in recent days and is able to report confidence from both camps. "Both horses have been in good condition since the Prix Foy and both trainers are thankful for the good weather as they are happy with the ground," said Soma. "Hiruno D'Amour ran very well in the trial and his connections expect him to run well again on Sunday. "Nakayama Festa is also in good form. It is difficult to compare his condition to last season as his run in the Prix Foy was his first run of the year this time. "Last year, before he ran in the Foy, he had won the Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin in June. "The Arc is the race most Japanese trainers want to win, so if either horse can do it, it would be a dream come true."
