Longchamp dark horses: four runners who could be overpriced on Arc weekend

Arc weekend kicks off on Saturday at Longchamp, featuring six Group 1 contests across two days. France correspondent Scott Burton picks out four runners overlooked in the betting.

Saturday

1.33: Prix Daniel Wildenstein

With the likes of The Revenant, Victor Ludorum and Coeursamba in the line-up, not to mention the hugely progressive Real World, this will take a Group 1 performance to win.

It's little surprise that Alain de Royer-Dupre didn't instantly peg Dilawar as a miler, given his dam Dolniya was fifth in Treve's Arc, as well as finishing runner-up in a Coronation Cup.

But it was impossible not to be taken by Dilawar's turn of foot when tried down at this trip for the first time in the Prix Quincey.

He is drawn 12 of 12 on Saturday but he was held up in last at Deauville and Christophe Soumillon will be in no hurry again before asking him for his effort late on.

Believe In Love
2.50: Prix de Royallieu

On what will be his last Arc weekend before retiring, Royer-Dupre will have high hopes of going out in style with Valia likely to be favourite in this fillies and mares Group 1.

She can be forgiven her defeat at Deauville when ridden with restraint on a day when it was extremely difficult to come from off the pace, a comment that also applies to Joie De Soir from the same race.

Should the pair fight out the finish that will surely be a sign that their conqueror Raabihah could play a major part in the Arc on Sunday.

If there is a filly who could spoil the Valia-Joie De Soir reunion then it might be Believe In Love, who carries the red and blue silks of the Maeda family that will be carried by Deep Bond in the Arc.

Trained by Roger Varian, Believe In Love's best performances have come on her travels, notably when ploughing through heavy ground at Saint-Cloud last October and when also showing her best side in the Stanerra Stakes at Leopardstown in July.

This race will have been her objective all year and she can leave a below-par performance at Goodwood behind her.

Believe In Love: winner over distance in the Group 3 Stanerra Stakes in JulyCredit: Caroline Norris

Sunday

1.15: Prix Marcel Boussac

Andre Fabre holds an almost vice-like grip on the market for the fillies' juvenile Group 1 that kicks off proceedings, with Raclette arguably one of the most highly anticipated horses on show outside of the Arc itself and intriguing back-up in the shape of Zellie and Fleur D'Iris.

Throw in Moyglare Stud Stakes runner-up Agartha and the tough Oscula and it looks a proper race despite not having a filly trained by either Aidan O'Brien or Charlie Appleby, who between them account for five winners over the last decade.

Despite all of that I keep coming back to Acer Alley, who produced a taking turn of foot to beat some smart colts over seven furlongs in the Group 3 Prix La Rochette under Olivier Peslier for trainer Francis Graffard.

The James Ferguson-trained El Bodegon, who was third home in that race, went on to frank the form at Chantilly earlier this week and Acer Alley has won on both good and heavy ground, so seems less at the mercy of the weather than many.

Palmas
3.50: Prix de l'Opera

Torquator Tasso may be an overlooked German contender for the Arc but if there is to be a major prize heading back across the Rhine then it is more likely to be thanks to Palmas for Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Andreas Wohler.

The strapping daughter of Lord Of England was only making her third start when bolting up in the Preis der Diana (German Oaks) to the tune of six lengths, despite still looking like she was learning on the job under Eddie Pedrosa.

The German handicapper gave her a GAG rating of 96.5 which equates to 113 – the second highest in the race behind favourite Audarya – as she makes only her third start, and coming from a family that have thrived at a mile and a quarter dropping back a furlong ought to be no issue.

Whether a Classic winner can be counted as a dark horse might be open to debate but German runners are habitually over-priced and Palmas looks primed to run a big race.

Read more on the 2021 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe:

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