Melbourne Cup and Arc de Triomphe Ante-Post Market Movers With no clear outstanding performer over 1m4f this year, the picture for next month’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp is probably as murky as it’s been in terms of ante-post betting at this stage of any season in recent memory. Most bookmakers are currently unable to split Christophe Ferland’s Aventure and Aidan O’Brien’s Minnie Hauk at the top of the market after what has been a rather underwhelming spell of trials. Aventure Arc odds - 4/1 Aventure strengthened her credentials with a win in the Prix Vermeille over the Arc course-and-distance at the start of the month, her comfortable defeat of Gezora her third win in her last four starts and the best performance of her career judged on a Racing Post Rating of 120, which bettered her previous highest figure by a pound. That previous best came when second behind Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking in last season’s Arc and she’s undoubtedly a solid and reliable option, the four-year-old having finished in the first two in 11 of her 12 career starts, winning six times. She’s been at her most prolific on good to soft, but handles more testing conditions, which are common in Paris come October. Croix Du Nord Arc odds - 8/1 A Japanese-trained horse has yet to win in the Arc, but they are likely to be double-handed next month courtesy of Prix Foy winner Byzantine Dream and Croix Du Nord, the latter looking a worthy contender following his victory in the Group 3 Prix du Prince d'Orange over 1m2f at Longchamp on Sunday. Takashi Saito's three-year-old colt has now four of his five career starts and coped well with the very soft ground in Paris at the weekend, having done all his racing previously on a firm surface in his native Asia. A dual Group 1 winner, firstly in the Hopeful Stakes over 1m2f at Nakayama in December and in the Japanese Derby over 1m4f at Tokyo in June, he’s clearly a class act, though will likely need to improve if he’s to beat either Aventure or Minnie Hauk. However, his trainer expects him to strip fitter for this run and he’ll not be inconvenienced by a return to 1m4f. Melbourne Cup Ante-Post: Al Riffa the new Cup favourite Al Riffa Melbourne Cup odds - 8/1 Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa is a horse very much on the up and he now heads most bookmaker lists for November’s Melbourne Cup, the five-year-old inching ahead of Sir Delius after a smooth victory in the Group 1 Irish St Leger at The Curragh on Sunday. Runner-up behind Godolphin’s globetrotting superstar, Rebel’s Romance in the Group 2 Hardwicke Stakes over 1m4f at Royal Ascot in June, he’s since been stepped up to 1m6f and has looked better than ever. A runaway success in the Group 2 Curragh Cup was supplemented by a similarly dominant display this past weekend, the son of Wootten Bassett travelling strongly and pulling four lengths clear of the previously unbeaten Amiloc. Highly versatile in terms of underfoot conditions, he’s unproven at 2m, but Sunday’s race was strongly run and he hit the line with a good bit left, so should have no excuses. Scandinavia Melbourne Cup odds - 10/1 Aidan O’Brien enjoyed a memorable weekend, the Ballydoyle maestro landing several high profile races, including the Irish Champion Stakes with Delacroix at Leopardstown and the St Leger at Doncaster with Scandinavia. The latter, who is one of three O’Brien-trained Melbourne Cup entrants, became the trainer’s ninth winner of the World’s oldest Classic, coming out on top in a stirring finish ahead of Roger Varian’s Rahiebb with stablemates Stay True and Lambourn finishing third and fourth. He’s got the Champion Stakes at Ascot next month as a possible target, for which he’s now a best-priced 3/1, but the lure of Australia’s biggest horse race, the race that stops the nation and which has so far eluded O’Brien, could sway the decision to head down under.
