Sosie races into favouritism for the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

The pendulum is swinging, and it’s Sunday’s Prix Niel winner Sosie who is the new $5 favourite with betting sites in Australia for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

With Sosie tracking the odds-on race favourite Look de Vega from barrier rase in this Group 2 of 2400m event for 3YO’s, it was Maxime Guyon who had Sosie take the lead in the home straight.

In printing away to win by an easing 1½ lengths in a time of 2-34.33min on soft going, it was Pierre-Yves Bureau, Racing Manager for Wertheimer and Frere who stated “He loves Longchamp.”

“We knew that Sosie stays the trip, so it’s really great, and physically speaking he’s reaching maturity in showing a good turn of foot, with having a very calm temperament is certainly an asset.”

“It’s been a great season and we need to keep it going, so logically Sosie will be heading to the Group 1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp on Sunday 6 October.”

Now posted as the $6 Arc second favourite with Australian betting apps, the Prix du Jockey-Club hero Look de Vega was unable to match Sosie, having led him into the home straight and the pacemaker from barrier rise.

“We wanted Look de Vega to get off to a good start,” said co-trainer Yann Lerner, “as we wanted to get the race he needed as he’s above his optional weight compared to the Jockey-Club.”

“Despite the fact that he’s been cranked up on the training grounds, he’s a long way off his best and needed to get this race under his belt to help him be in mint condition in three weeks.”

With the Coolmore owned Delius filling second placing, and now paying $11 for the Arc, he tracked both Look de Vega and the eventual winner Sosie into the famed Longchamp straight.

Jockey Ioritz Mendizabal rode him take second place at the 150m, but could not finish-on in the closing stages, while it was Wintertraum and Ambient Friendly, now $67, who followed.

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget at Chantilly, for it was their manager Hermine Bastide who said “Delius ran really well and the team is delighted with him finishing where we had expected.”

“He was 80 per cent wound up for this, and we have to formulate future plans based on how he performed, as there is an option of heading to Australia to run in the Melbourne Cup.”

In Sosie being a home-bred by Wertheimer and Frere, he’s by the 2009 Arc de Triomphe winner Sea The Stars, and is coming off victory in the Grand Prix de Paris, plus two other race wins.

As Look de Vega is ridden by Ronan Thomas in all his race starts including his juvenile win at 1800m, he was a€160,000 buy at the 2022 Arqana August Yearling Sale, sired by Lope de Vega.

Earlier third to Sosie in the Grand Prix de Paris, and having won the Prix du Lys, Delius was a 675,000 Gns buy for MV Magnier at the 2021 Tattersalls December Foal Sale, sired by Frankel.

In addition, the Qatar Prix Vermeille of 2400m was the Group 1 for fillies and mares targeting the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, with victory going to the Ralph Beckett 4yo Bluestocking.

“Bluestocking adapted very well and travelled very well, as she has never showed a snappier turn of foot” said an elated Rossa Ryan, and is now at $11 for the Arc, and Juddmonte Farms.

However, the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown threw-up an outstanding Arc trial with the Japanese 3yo Shin Emperor now as the $7.50 third pick, following a storming third placing.

In being held up when the leaders sprinted, it’s the winner Economics, who in now $21, and Auguste Rodin $26, while at Doncaster the St Leger Stakes second placed Los Angles in now $9.

The Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh may supplied the one-two for the Prix de l’Abbaye Longines of 1000m, with the Holly Doyle ridden Bradsall gaining a second Group 1 over Believing.