Arc officials pray for Baaeed effect as cost of living crisis hurts ticket sales

Nowhere will the news that Sheikha Hissa and William Haggas are giving serious consideration to running Baaeed in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe have been more warmly received than at the offices of France Galop.

But if a flood of bookings for Longchamp over the first weekend in October might have been anticipated when the news broke last Sunday, then economic reality is acting as a counterweight among prospective British and Irish fans.

"In terms of ticket sales we are slightly behind where we were at this stage in 2019, which to me is the year against which to measure these things," said Olivier Delloye, director general of France Galop.

"A fair few of the British fans who come over for the Arc do so with travel companies and the feedback we've had from them is that the rise in the cost of living is an important factor.

"We have tried to make the ticket prices as attractive as possible but of course if you are coming to Paris from abroad, the price of entry to Longchamp is far from the most important cost factor, compared to travel hotels etc.

"Some regular clients are having to weigh the cost of such a trip as they see prices rising in their daily lives. For me that explains the slight difference and there is still plenty of time for sales to catch up, not least if the meeting looks as though it will be an exceptional one."

Ticket sales are a little behind 2019, when Enable attempted a historic treble in the ArcCredit: Edward Whitaker

2019 was the second year of staging the Arc back at the redeveloped Longchamp and featured Enable's hat-trick attempt.

Delloye added: "It's absolutely my feeling that the presence of Baaeed will have a positive effect in promoting the Arc, especially in terms of people coming from Britain and Ireland."

The Arc has earned the highest rating in the Longines World's Best Horserace rankings in three of the last five seasons and Baaeed's presence – assuming he were to finish in the first four – would almost assure a repeat victory.

But aside from concerns of attracting a bigger crowd and retaining the number one spot, Delloye would like to see Baaeed at Longchamp first and foremost on a sporting level.

"It would be fabulous to play host to the horse with the best rating in the world, one who is unbeaten who handled a mile and a quarter with the same ease as a mile, and whose limits we still don't know," said Delloye.

"It would be just as big a deal as when Sea The Stars ran in the Arc and France Galop is not in anyway chauvinistic. We are French but we just want to see the best horses in the race."

Read this next:

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