Confirmed runners and riders for the 2023 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp - plus draw details, big-race tip and free bet

Ace Impact's position at the head of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05 Longchamp) market strengthened on Thursday after he was handed stall eight and one of his main market rivals Hukum was drawn out wide in 14 when 15 runners were declared for Sunday's big race in Paris.

A dominant winner of this year's Prix du Jockey Club, the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Ace Impact has been aimed at the €5 million contest since and took his record to 5-5 with victory in the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville last month.

Stall eight has been a winning draw in the past, with Workforce landing the spoils from that berth in 2010, and Ace Impact's jockey Cristian Demuro was pleased with his position.

Demuro said: "I'm very happy and eight is a lucky number for me, as my birthday is July 8. I think it's a good draw and several of the fancied runners are just inside me."

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The one doubt about Ace Impact is his stamina – the 1m2½f of the French Derby being the furthest he has travelled – and that could hand the advantage to the Owen Burrows-trained Hukum, a dual Group 1 winner over 1m4f.

Having downed last year's Derby winner Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard on his reappearance, Hukum was given a break before getting the better of Westover in a mighty tussle in the King George, with just a head separating the pair at Ascot.

He will have to overcome a wide draw in 14 in his bid to hand Burrows a first win in the Arc, but both Dalakhani (2003) and Golden Horn (2015) were successful from that stall since the turn of the century.

After the draw was made, Coral trimmed Ace Impact to 10-3 (from 7-2), while lengthening Hukum to 5-1 (from 9-2). The firm's David Stevens said: "Ace Impact's connections can have few complaints about drawing stall eight and it's a draw that will probably ensure the unbeaten colt is sent off favourite on Sunday, especially as his biggest market rival Hukum appears to have been done few favours with a wide draw in 14."

Hukum (right) and Westover: fought out an epic finish to the King George at AscotCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Burrows and the Shadwell team have opted to head to the Longchamp showpiece fresh and have not run Hukum since, while Westover, who finished sixth in last year's Arc on unsuitably heavy ground, has also been off the track since Ascot.

The forecast better surface is a positive for Westover, but a draw in one has been tricky to navigate from in the past, with only Zarkava (2008) victorious since the turn of the century.

The quicker ground was also the driving force behind German Derby winner Fantastic Moon being supplemented, and it could be history repeating itself as jockey Rene Piechulek won from the same stall in 12 aboard Torquator Tasso in 2021.

Fantastic Moon got the better of Feed The Flame, who will reoppose on Sunday, in the Prix Neil and was added to the Arc field on Wednesday at a cost of €120,000, a fee that was also offered up by Coolmore in order to add the Aidan O'Brien-trained St Leger winner Continuous, who will break from stall seven.

Connections of Bay Bridge will likely be the happiest as he was drawn in six, the most successful stall since 1988 with six winners, most recently Alpinista last year.

Frankie Dettori, the most successful jockey in Arc history, has a good draw in stall three as he bids for a record-extending seventh victory on the John and Thady Gosden-trained Free Wind, who makes up a four-strong British challenge.

Through Seven Seas vaulted into the reckoning when running Equinox, the world's highest-rated horse, to a neck in the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin at the end of June. She is drawn inside the favourite Ace Impact in stall five as she bids to give Japan a coveted first victory in the Arc.

Grosser Preis von Berlin one-two Simca Mille and Sisfahan, Prix Foy winner Place Du Carrousel, Onesto, Mr Hollywood and Haya Zark complete the field.

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe confirmed runners and riders

(Draw details in brackets)

• Sisfahan Lukas Delozier (13)
• Haya Zark Gerald Mosse (4)
• Onesto Maxime Guyon (9)
• Simca Mille Alexis Pouchin (15)
• Bay Bridge Richard Kingscote (6)
• Westover Rob Hornby (1)
• Hukum Jim Crowley (14)
• Place Du Carrousel Mickael Barzalona (11)
• Through Seven Seas Christophe Lemaire (5)
• Free Wind Frankie Dettori (3)
• Mr Hollywood Bauyrzhan Murzabayev (10)
• Feed The Flame Christophe Soumillon (2)
• Ace Impact Cristian Demuro (8)
• Fantastic Moon Rene Piechulek (12)
• Continuous Ryan Moore (7)

Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05 Longchamp, Sunday)

Coral (after declarations on Thursday): 10-3 Ace Impact, 5 Hukum, 11-2 Continuous, 13-2 Westover, 8 Feed The Flame, 10 Fantastic Moon, 12 Through Seven Seas, 14 Bay Bridge, 20 Free Wind, Mr Hollywood, Place Du Carrousel, 25 Simca Mille, 40 Onesto, 100 Sisfahan, Haya Zark

Draw reaction: 'Crowley has the biggest job on his hands'

By Scott Burton, France correspondent

The inside six stalls have frequently proved to be the golden tickets in Arcs run on ground described as good to soft or quicker, and so Christophe Soumillon on Feed The Flame, Richard Kingscote on Bay Bridge and Frankie Dettori on Free Wind have all fared well.

While the mid-pack Ace Impact in stall eight is slightly wider than ideal, the cutaway rail in the straight – an innovation since the last time the Arc was run on a sound surface in 2018 – should give Cristian Demuro options, a comment that also applies to Rob Hornby in stall one on Westover.

Jim Crowley has the biggest job on his hands out in stall 14 with Hukum, who will have to either cover a lot more ground to be ridden prominently, or else be dropped out and ridden for luck if he is to take a shorter route home.

2023 Arc tips:

• Why this horse can win the 2023 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday - plus 1-2-3 predictions 
• Who will win the 2023 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp based on previous trends? 
• 2023 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp: the runners, the odds, the verdict 

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe betting tip and 1-2-3 prediction

By Stuart Redding

1 Ace Impact
2 Hukum
3 Bay Bridge

I expect Ace Impact to confirm his place at the top of the European middle-distance division by taking the Arc. The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained colt looked a cut above his rivals when taking the Prix du Jockey Club by more than three lengths and then made it five successive wins at Deauville. This new trip shouldn't be a problem.

Hukum is likely the pick of the British raiders but I wouldn't be surprised to see a big run from Bay Bridge, who has been slightly overlooked in the betting.

Ace Impact15:05 Longchamp

View Racecard

Jky: Tnr: J-C Rouget

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