Don't let your mind deceive you - parking up wide in the Arc could cost someone dear

It is little over a week until the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, a time when the mind naturally drifts to some of the great races in its rich history. 

For those of us who started watching it in the 1980s, the sight of the field spread across the wide expanse of the Longchamp straight and Ace Impact's dash for immortality 12 months ago recalled some favourite early Arc memories. 

However, the mind plays tricks on you and when you actually watch back a lot of those classic Arcs, even if the winner comes flashing down the middle of the green swathe, they have as often as not worked a passage through traffic before swinging wide late on.