Neil Morrice shares all of his best bets and tips for Saturday's racing coming your way from Longchamp on 1 October 2022.
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Race 1 Qatar Prix Chaudenay (Group 2)
No7 LA MEHANA
Trainer: Jean-Claude Rouget – Jockey: Cristian Demuro
An interesting first Pattern race on the superb two-day Arc fixture can fall to the upwardly mobile LA MEHANA. The daughter of Al Wukair has thrived under the tutelage of the champion trainer, compiling a fine hat-trick with a clear-cut Listed race triumph at Deauville. She assembled her feat by an aggregate of 13 lengths and looks every inch a Group-class filly.
Race 3 Qatar PRIX DE ROYALLIEU (Group 1)
No3 VERRY ELLEEGANT
Trainer: Francis Graffard – Jockey: Mark Zahra
It’s with mixed feelings from her pioneering connections that last year’s Melbourne Cup winner and champion ‘Down Under’ VERRY ELLEEGANT has been prevented from taking her chance in tomorrow’s Arc. A shot at Europe’s greatest race was the basis of her transfer to the Graffard yard in Chantilly, but the seven-year-old didn’t achieve enough in her two prep races on French soil to obtain a rating high enough to secure her a place in the big race field. She, therefore, is forced to tackle a distaffers-only Group 1, but now at near concert pitch she should prove very hard to beat.
Race 6 QATAR PRIX DE CADRAN (Group 1)
No7 KYPRIOS
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien – Jockey: Ryan Moore
This famous stayers’ prize looks at the mercy of KYPRIOS, who with a sixth straight win this season can cement his position as champion in the Cup division. The Galileo colt completed a magnificent hat-trick of Group 1s when adding the Irish St Leger to his Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup triumphs. He’s now opposed by an upwardly mobile performer in Quickthorn, whose domination of the Group 2 Lonsdale Stakes at York stamps him as an improver, but not necessarily fast enough to stem the progression of Aidan O’Brien’s champion who looks banker material.
Race 7 Qatar Prix Dollar (Group 2)
No1 BOTANIK (Nap)
Trainer: Andre Fabre – Jockey: Mikael Barzalona
One horse that really impressed me during the Deauville Festival this summer was BOTANIK, whose progression peaked with a resounding defeat of Japanese Stay Foolish in the Group 2 Grand Prix on the final weekend of the Normandy season. Winner also of a Group 3 on previous start at the same track, this versatile performer has shown that he’s adaptable to racing on or near the pace and can make this a fifth victory from his last six starts for his master trainer.
Race 8 Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein (Group 2)
No6 TRIPLE TIME
Trainer: Kevin Ryan – Jockey: Kevin Stott
Jacques Le Marois third Erevann will attract abundant support on the PMU as a horse with untapped potential, and could easily wipe the floor with his opponents. However, I can pass on a very strong message concerning TRIPLE TIME. The Frankel colt has always been the apple of his trainer’s eye and made a lasting impression in the way he took out the Group 3 Superior Mile at Haydock. He’s so well regarded that Ryan is already considering a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Mile in Kentucky as a next step after this.
