Adayar is now 5/2 joint-favourite for the Arc after it was confirmed that William Buick will be riding the Derby and King George winner at Longchamp.

Tarnawa is also 5/2 after finishing a close second in the Irish Champion Stakes a week ago and is continuing to be backed as Europe’s middle-distance championship draws closer.

Snowfall is 5/1 after a disappointing display in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp, where she was sent off 1/5 favourite but could only come second to Teona, who is now a 16/1 shot.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 2021 latest news and analysis

The 2021 Arc is shaping up to be a fantastic race with an intriguing field and has become even harder to call after some thrilling Group 1 racing over the past few weeks.

Adayar is now the joint-favourite to win the Arc after it was confirmed that William Buick would ride the Derby and King George winner at Longchamp.

The three-year-old is 5/2 to reign supreme on Sunday, while stablemate Hurricane Lane is 6/1 after winning the St Leger at Doncaster. He and his jockey James Doyle are aiming to make history with the first St Leger-Arc double in the same season.

Snowfall’s shock defeat in the Prix Vermeille over the Arc course and distance of 1m 4f has led to her relegation from 9/4 favourite for the big race to third in the betting at 5/1, with Teona, her conqueror at Longchamp, now a 16/1 shot.

It was the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly’s first defeat of her Classic campaign and she has now been replaced at the top of the Arc betting by Adaya and Tarnawa who is also joint-favourite at 5/2.

Dermot Weld’s mare also finished second in a Group 1 race a couple of weeks ago, but her silver medal behind St Mark’s Basilica in the Irish Champion Stakes looks superior form. She went down by three-quarters of a length while giving weight to one of the season’s standout three-year-old colts.

Expert Picks:

  • $20 WIN – #15 Snowfall
  • $1 EXB –  #15 Snowfall, #11 Hurricane Lane, #13 Alenquer
  • $0.50 TRI KEY – #15 Snowfall with #11 Hurricane Lane, #4 Tarnawa,  #13 Alenquer
  • $0.50 SUPERFECTA KEY – #15 Snowfall with #11 Hurricane Lane, #4 Tarnawa, #13 Alenquer, #5 Raabihah

THE RUNNERS

Torquator Tasso

Representing Germany, Torquator Tasso is one of the top older horses in his country and landed the German Derby last time out. However, his form before that victory, when he failed to defeat Alpinista, means he has a huge amount of improvement to find to be in the mix here.

 

Deep Bond

The second entry in our l’Arc de Triomphe 2021 preview is Deep Bond, a Japanese challenger who has come up short in Group 1 company the four times he’s faced it and he looks set to suffer the same fate on Sunday.

He put in a solid performance to see off Broome in the Prix Foy but dominating an Arc field is another story and Japan’s best hope looks to lie with Chrono Genesis.

 

Broome

Broome arrives at Longchamp on the back of a busy and productive 2021 that has seen him notch up four victories including in the Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud.

He’s since been well beaten in the King George where he was used as a pacemaker, before losing to Deep Bond in the Prix Foy and he needs to bounce back to the best of his form if he’s to be competitive in the Arc.

 

Tarnawa

The Arc has been the target all season for Tarnawa following an exceptional end to last season when she won the Prix Vermeille, Prix de l’Opera, and Breeders’ Cup Turf.

She ran an excellent prep in the Irish Champion Stakes where she was just edged out by St Mark’s Basilica and she seems to go on any ground – from a plum draw in stall 3 a big run looks on the cards on Sunday.

 

Love

Love put in several high-class efforts last year including success in the 1000 Guineas, Oaks, and the Yorkshire Oaks but she’s struggled to replicate that form this year.

Frankie Dettori takes the ride as he hunts down a seventh win in the Arc but the ground looks to have turned against her with the arrival of rain in Paris this week.

 

Raabihah

The sixth entry in our l’Arc de Triomphe 2021 preview is Raabihah, who ran 5th in last year’s Arc behind Sottsass and she caught the eye that day, staying on up the straight on deep ground.

With rain in the mix again this year she has conditions to suit and after looking back to her best winning at Deauville last time out, she looks a live outsider.

 

Chrono Genesis

Chrono Genesis is a Japanese raider who will be partnered by Oisin Murphy as she looks to give Japan their first-ever Arc success.

She’s enjoyed an excellent 2021 so far – winning two Group 1 victories in her homeland either side of placing 2nd behind Mishriff in the Sheema Classic – if she handles the ground, she’s likely to go very close.

 

Mojo Star

Mojo Star has been consistent this season and put in two big efforts to run 2nd in the Epsom Derby behind Adayar and then in the St Leger behind Hurricane Lane.

With one eye on next season, it would be a shock if Mojo Star could reverse the form on both Adayar and Hurricane Lane in the Arc though.

 

Baby Rider

Baby Rider is one of the outsiders of the field having struggled in his two Group 1 appearances to date.

He was down the field in both the French Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris before just failing to last home in the Group 2 Prix Niel and it would be a big surprise if he was to go anywhere near close in the Arc.

 

Adayar

Adayar is one of the favourites for the Arc and arrives at Longchamp having won both the Epsom Derby and the King George in impressive style.

He missed the Prix Niel due to a slight injury and comes into this race on the back of a 71-day lay-off – he may have to settle for a place from stall 11.

 

Hurricane Lane

Hurricane Lane has suffered just one career defeat in seven races, placing 3rd in the Epsom Derby behind stablemate Adayar.

Since then he’s notched up wins in the Irish Derby, Grand Prix de Paris, and St Leger and if his Doncaster success hasn’t taken too much out of him, he’s got a huge chance over a course and distance he’s already won on. Definitely one of the main fancies of our l’Arc de Triomphe 2021 preview.

 

Sealiway

Sealiway hasn’t been seen since running 2nd behind St Mark’s Basilica in the French Derby at Chantilly in July and arrives at Longchamp a fresh horse.

He won the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere by eight lengths at the Arc meeting 12 months ago and then went on to finish fifth at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf but looks up against it here in a hot Arc field.

 

Alenquer

Alenquer is another who will appreciate some cut in the ground on Sunday as he looks to give William Haggas a first-ever success in the Arc.

He has some solid form this season – including defeating Adayar in the Spring – and if he can negotiate a clear passage he could well outrun his big odds.

 

Bubble Gift

Bubble Gift defeated Baby Rider by the narrowest of margins to land the Prix Niel but before that had been well beaten behind Hurricane Lane in the Grand Prix de Paris.

He tends to be slow away and it takes a good horse to make up a lot of ground in the Arc but connections feel he has improved since his Prix Neil victory.

 

Snowfall

Rounding off our l’Arc de Triomphe 2021 preview, Snowfall has looked a different horse as a three-year-old, winning the Musidora, Oaks, Irish Oaks, and the Yorkshire Oaks before suffering efeat in the Prix Vermeille last time out.

If she can run to the form of her 16 length demolition job in the Oaks on soft ground then she has an excellent chance of landing the Arc, but she has questions to answer going into the big race.

 

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe Past Winners

Year Horse Jockey Trainer
2020 Sottsass Cristian Demuro Jean-Claude Rouget
2019 Waldgeist Pierre-Charles Boudot Andre Fabre
2018 Enable Frankie Dettori John Gosden
2017 Enable Frankie Dettori John Gosden
2016 Found Ryan Moore Aidan O’Brien
2015 Golden Horn Frankie Dettori John Gosden
2014 Treve Thierry Jarnet Criquette Head
2013 Treve Thierry Jarnet Criquette Head
2012 Solemia Olivier Peslier Carlos Laffon-Parias
2011 Danedream Andrasch Starke Peter Schiergen