World Racing

Longchamp Racing Tips: Saturday's best bet is on the Horizon

  • Patrick Weaver
  • Published on
  • Updated on
Longchamp's main meeting of the year attracts racegoers from around the world
There promises to be several tight finishes on the first day of Longchamp's Arc weekend

Patrick Weaver previews the six races on the first day of the Arc meeting that have attacted English and Irish runners ...

  • Trueshan v Emily Dickinson in the Prix du Cadran

  • Shamida's stamina gives her an edge in the Royallieu

  • Horizon Dore napped in the Prix Dollar


There's a good number of English and Irish runners in Paris this weekend. You would hope we will be among the winners both days, if not in the Arc itself ...

Longchamp - 12:23 - Back Gallerist


The Prix Chaudenay at 12:23 is a Group 2 over a mile and seven for three-year-olds.

Charlie Appleby, Martyn Meade and Karl Burke have won four of the last five renewals - Appleby in 2018 and 2021 - but there are no English runners this weekend.

Dermot Weld sends Harbour Wind over from Ireland with Chris Hayes up. He is a winner of a Listed over a mile and six and on breeding should stay the extra furlong.

The Group 3 Prix Gerald de Geoffre over course and distance could be the key. The finish was fought out by Gallerist and Double Major, with just a head between them at the line. The favourite, Sevenna's Knight was three lengths back; Kahraman was last of six.

Shembala won a Listed over a mile and six here at Longchamp, after a lacklustre fourth behind Sevenna's Knight, Double Major and Dschingis Star on very soft at Deauville.

Rubis Vendome won the Group 3 Prix du Lys over 12 furlongs at Chantilly under Oisin Murphy in June. He only beat one home though over this trip at Deauville last time.

Wida is a Derby winner, but the Swiss one doesn't take much winning, and this is three furlongs further.

Gallerist is on the up and, at 4/15.00, a good each-way bet.

Back Gallerist @ 4/1

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Longchamp - 13:33 - Back Emily Dickinson

Aidan O'Brien entered Emily Dickinson 7/42.75 for three races this weekend and has opted for the Prix du Cadran at 13:33 rather than The Arc or the Prix de Royallieu.

The Goodwood Cup runner-up will be ridden for the first time by Frankie Dettori, and needs to beat Trueshan 11/102.11 if she is to win.

Alan King's stable star saw off Stradivarius in this race in 2021 and has held his form well, winning a Group 2 over two miles, two at Doncaster last time.

Charles Byrne's Run For Oscar, 6/17.00 from 8s, isn't in the same class. He has won twice in a visor but this is the first time he has worn blinkers.

There's not a lot between the two market leaders but I hope we will be seeing a flying dismount in the winner's enclosure after the race.

Back Emily Dickinson @7/4

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Longchamp - 14:58 - No bet

The Criterium d'Automne at 14:58 is a sales race over a mile for two-year-olds with €160,000 to the winner.

Loose Cannon, third in a Group 3 at York, is William Haggas' runner. David Menuisier saddles Louis Quatorze and War Chimes. Kevin Philippart de Foy puts Sam James up on Maymay.

Joseph O'Brien's Islandsinthestream is the form pick. He has twice finished second to Henry Longfellow in Group races over seven furlongs at the Curragh - the latest in the Group 1 National Stakes.

Although Jamie Spencer is on Louis Quatorze, if either of Menuisier's pair were to be placed I think it is more likely to be War Chimes.


Longchamp - 15:33 - Back Shamida

There are four English runners, three Irish and seven French in the Prix de Royallieu at 15:33.

It's a Group 1 for fillies and mares over a mile and six and all bar Diva Donna, Alpenblume and Joseph O'Brien's Thunder Roll are rated within a few pounds of each other.

Three of the UK quartetr met in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock in July. Poptronic caused something of an upset marginally outstaying the favourite Sea Silk Road by a neck with the John Gosden-runner Mimikyu two and a half lengths back.

Nothing is clear cut in this game, though, and Sea Silk Road later finished ahead of Poptronic when both were unplaced in the Yorkshire Oaks.

None of the trio have run over the Royallieu trip whereas the fourth Brit, Sumo Sam, has won Group 2s over a mile and three-quarters at Goodwood and Doncaster.

That would normally be good enough for me, but Dermot Weld's Shamida has won two Group 3s in Ireland over a mile and six

Library's third in the Irish Oaks was a surprise to punters as she went off at 80/1, the outsider of Aidan O'Brien's four runners. Whether she sees the trip out, who knows?

Two of the seven French runners have won Listeds over the trip: Melo Melo in May and La Mehana last year. Both are in form, Melo Melo finishing clear of Sea Silk Road and Rue Boissonade when they were second, third and fourth in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille over 12 furlongs last time.

I've a short list of three - Best Brit - Sumo Sam 7/18.00, Best of the Irish - Shamida 5/16.00, Best of the home team - Melo Melo 3/14.00.

Back Shamida @ 5/1

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Longchamp - 16:08 - Back Belbek

The Prix Daniel Wildenstein at 16:08 over a mile is another with half from the UK and Ireland and half from France.

Group 2 winners have a 2lb penalty, and there's only one - Witch Hunter, who came from last to first under Sean Levey to take the Hungerford Stakes over seven at Newbury on his last start.

Jamie Spencer, who won on him at Royal Ascot, is back on board on Saturday.

Do we go with the classy seven-furlong specialist or with one of those that have won a Group 3 over a mile - Fast Raaj, Poker Face, Embesto?

Embesto, who dead-heated with Mighty Ulysses at Salisbury, in the Tattersalls Sovereign Stakes last time would be my pick of the trio but there's another to consider.

Belbek has been expensive to follow this year but won a Group 1 over the Arc weekend 12 months ago.

His career seemed to be treading water over seven furlongs this season but he ran a cracker when put up to a mile for the Prix du Moulin over course and distance last time.

He was beaten less than two lengths, and the form seems genuine enough despite him being 39/1.

It's Belbek 8/19.00 for the French for me, with a saver on Roger Varian's Embesto 5/16.00, the mount of Cristian Demuro.

Back Belbek @ 8/1

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Longchamp - 16:43 - Back Horizon Dore

The final Group race on the first day is the Prix Dollar at 16:43 over just short of a mile and a quarter.

The winners of a Group 2, Horizon Dore 11/82.38 and Dettori's mount Jack Darcy 12/113.00, are penalised 2lb which gives Erevann 11/26.50 a chance of beating them.

The Aga Khan's colt has been running in the highest grade this summer, coming fourth in the Moulin last time, sixth in the Prix Jacques Le Marois, and fifth in the Prix d'Ispahan.

He is a class act as is the three-year-old American Flag 5/16.00 who we've not seen since he met trouble in running in the French Derby.

He was unplaced when odds-on for the French 2,000 before that.

Ancient Rome 11/112.00 is worth considering if you want one at double-figure odds. He has won both his starts since his move from Andre Fabre to Charlie Hills and goes particularly well for Jamie Spencer.

Those are the five with the best form, and I'm siding with the one that's won his last three, Horizon Dore, to beat the one that's one his last two, Ancient Rome.

Back Horizon Dore @ 11/8

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Read Tony Calvin on the Saturday racing at Newmarket here

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