Longchamp officials working on ways to ensure perfect going on Arc day

The popular belief that the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is nearly always run in deep ground is tenuous at best – of the last 20 Arcs run at Longchamp, eight took place on soft, very soft or heavy going, while 12 were staged on a quicker surface.

But ever since Sottsass paddled home on heavy ground 12 months ago, following Waldgeist's defeat of Enable a year earlier in extremely challenging conditions, those charged with preparing the track for the 100th edition of Europe's greatest all-aged race have been studying ways to improve the surface in the event rain arrives in early October.

"Arc weekend is our holy grail and in doing the maximum to present the track in good condition, we are innovating," said France Galop's director of racecourses, Matthieu Vincent. "Myself and [Longchamp director] Charles de Cordon began thinking about this after last year's race and, while the weather can change quickly at that time of the year, the aim is always to favour speed if we can."