Sea The Stars lands Arc

Sea The Stars cemented his position as one of the all-time greats with a fantastic performance to land the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp today.

The John Oxx-trained colt carved his name into the annals of Turf history with a sixth consecutive Group One triumph.

Brilliantly ridden by the veteran Mick Kinane, who has been at the helm for all nine of Sea The Stars' racecourse appearances, the remarkable three-year-old emphatically justified red-hot favouritism.

Youmzain, ridden by Kieren Fallon and trained by Mick Channon, finished second in the Arc for a third consecutive year.

The Frankie Dettori-ridden Cavalryman stayed on for third, but was no match for the mercurial winner.

It was also the manner of Sea The Stars' triumph which made his exploits in France all the more exemplary.

Having been very keen and lost ground in the early throes of the race, many observers might have been forgiven for fearing the worst.

Even approaching the top of the home turn, Kinane's partner was engulfed behind a wall of horses - with Set Sail and Grand Ducal ensuring a generous pace from the head of affairs.

Once the gaps appeared, however, the race changed suddenly.

Stacelita went for the jugular inside the final 300 yards but Sea The Stars had all bases covered under his unflappable rider.

Exhibiting a jaw-dropping turn of foot, the Cape Cross colt scampered clear inside the final 200 yards to easily repel the challenge of the game Youmzain.

Oxx joked: "(My heart) is still beating fairly slow, I think. "It's wonderful that it's over - it's just a great relief.

"It's wonderful that he's come through it. He was in a nice position and he just had to step up the gears a bit to get out.

"Mick would not panic because this horse has the gears.

"That's what any jockey will tell you, if the horse has the speed and the gears he will get himself out of trouble."

Sea The Stars has, incredibly, now won a Group One race in every month since May, when he scorched to victory in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Subsequent triumphs in the Epsom Derby and Coral-Eclipse soon followed, after which he headed to York for the Juddmonte International.

It was a similar outcome on the Knavesmire as the Christopher Tsui-owned maestro defeated Mastercraftsman by a length.

Next up was the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, where he produced a clinical performance in dispatching the challenge of perennial bridesmaid Fame And Glory.

If the Irish Champion represented his hitherto most accomplished success, Sea The Stars' victory in the Arc was easily his most important - and arguably his most dramatic.

No other horse has ever secured the Guineas, Derby and Arc treble.

Then again, Sea The Stars is unlike any other horse we have seen before.

Kinane added: "I ended up in a position I maybe didn't want to, but I didn't want to risk firing him up.

"They were going a nice pace and I knew I would need a bit of luck in the straight, no matter what happened, but I knew I had the pace to go anywhere I wanted.

"He's a phenomenal horse."

Despite his confidence in the colt, Oxx admitted that pre-race nerves were beginning to take a hold.

He said: "After Leopardstown (Irish Champion Stakes) I thought that nothing can beat him and that he is the best horse by far, and he will win the Arc.

"But as you get closer you start to think about the great horses that have come here after a good season and haven't done it, and you think he could be another one.

"He was in great form, though, and we were delighted with his preparation.

"He seemed better than ever in his homework, and his physical condition is getting better - he is putting on weight.

"Every week you look at him at evening stables and he seems to be getting stronger and stronger and more masculine, so we were hoping that he might have been improving."

Oxx was also quick to highlight Sea The Stars' versatility when squaring up to adversity.

The Currabeg handler added: "A horse like that can get himself out of trouble, but there was a bit of jostling early on and it set him off and he was a bit keen for a while, a bit like the Derby I suppose.

"Mick had to pull him back then and get him behind horses to settle, and I think that would have made the punters who backed him a little bit nervous.

"I was happy as he had some of the fancied horses in front of him, but there was an anxious moment whether he would go out or go in, but once he started to go you knew he would get through.

"No horse in any race has more speed than he has and Mick wasn't worried when he was a little bit back.

"He has come on a lot since the Eclipse and he is a better horse now. He just does enough when he hits the front and will never win by very far.

"He is a great, great horse to keep on winning and to have won all of those races.

"We just go from race to race and we will see - he has done a lot."

Oxx refused to be drawn on whether Sea The Stars will now be retired as next month's Breeders' Cup Classic could still be on the agenda.

He added: "I suppose you are going to ask me about the Breeders' Cup, but that is November 7 and I am not sure how we would all feel about that.

"We will let the dust settle, and now is not the time to make a decision. We will see how the horse is and make a decision.

"To have got as far as the Arc is a lot to be thankful for.

"I can't see him staying in training next year, but we haven't discussed it."