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The eyes of the racing world will be on France this weekend as the prestigious Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe meeting takes place at ParisLongchamp.
The two-day event includes eight Group 1 and three Group 2 races, and is widely recognised as the highlight of the flat racing season on mainland Europe.
If you are inclined towards betting, the PlayersBest website has all the latest odds for every race and there is some excellent value to be found in several markets.
Read on as we take a closer look at some of the biggest races on Arc Weekend and pick out four horses we think are worth following.
Tarnawa – Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe
Although the line-up for the big race on Sunday is packed with quality, Tarnawa is strongly fancied to win at this meeting for the second successive year.
Dermot Weld’s talented mare was a gritty winner of the Prix de l’Opera, before following up with an impressive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland.
After starting this season with an easy win in a Group 3 at Leopardstown, Tarnawa was an unlucky second behind St Mark’s Basilica in the Irish Champion Stakes at the same track.
With Christophe Soumillon in the saddle and a low draw to work from, the five-year-old will be tough to beat at ParisLongchamp.
Space Blues – Prix de La Foret
Trainer Charlie Appleby takes a small but select team to the meeting and Space Blues is one of his best chances of a winner in the Prix de La Foret.
The five-year-old has an excellent record in France, posting figures of 2311 in Group races at Longchamp and Deauville.
Space Blues ran out a ready winner of the City of York Stakes in August and it would be a surprise if he fails to follow up at ParisLongchamp.
With three-time Foret winner One Master now retired, Space Blues looks to be one the best bets in France this weekend.
Manobo – Prix Chaudenay
Manobo extended his perfect record to three when winning a Saint-Cloud Listed race by 10 lengths on his most recent outing and he looks ready to step up in class.
Appleby’s three-year-old first came to attention when he beat Mojo Star on his debut in a maiden race at Newbury during May.
Mojo Star went on to finish second behind Adayar in The Derby and occupied the same position behind Hurricane Lane in the St Leger.
That form gives Appleby a good handle on Manobo’s ability to compete at Group 2 level and the horse undoubtedly looks up to the task.
Stradivarius – Prix du Cadran
The eagerly anticipated rematch between Stradivarius and Trueshan in the Prix Du Cadran could be one of the highlights of the weekend.
The duo last met on Champions Day at Ascot in October when Trueshan was a wide-margin winner of the Long Distance Cup.
The five-year-old has since won the Goodwood Cup, while Stradivarius has returned after a short break to claim the Lonsdale Cup and Doncaster Cup.
With Trueshan not guaranteed to stay the two-and-a-half-mile distance, Stradivarius can add another Group race victory to his CV.
Michael specializes in journalism, digital content production and social media management. He has a passion for numerous sports including football, horse racing and ice hockey. Michael currently works on a freelance basis, producing daily content for various outlets within the sports industry.
