Feed The Flame cut to 12-1 for Arc after burning off British and Irish opposition in Grand Prix de Paris

Feed The Flame achieved what very few can do at an elite level on fast ground at Longchamp, coming from last to first to dash the hopes of Adelaide River and Oaks heroine Soul Sister. 

In landing the Grand Prix de Paris he gave veteran Chantilly trainer Pascal Bary perhaps his best chance in more than 20 years of filling the one gap in his remarkable CV, the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. 

After making it three wins from just four starts, Feed The Flame was cut to 12-1 (from 40) with Coral for the Arc, while the same firm trimmed his Prix du Jockey Club conqueror Ace Impact in a point to 5-1 from 6 for Europe's richest race on October 1.

The bad news for the opposition is that Bary believes autumn ground might bring an even better performance from the son of Kingman, who only made his racecourse debut here at Longchamp on April 9.

Bary said: "If he stays in this sort of form he will have a real chance in the Arc. And I hope and think he’s better on softer ground.

"He's a wonderful horse. In the Jockey Club he suffered a bit, they went fast and he [Christophe Soumillon] was obliged to get after him a bit earlier than we would have liked and he didn’t finish his race off as I had hoped. Today, over 2,400 metres, he showed he’s a super horse."

Feed The Flame was once again slowly away, with Demuro having to give him a little shake of the reins to get on to the back of the pack as the field disappeared behind the Petit Bois, though Bary said: "When he’s behind like that you know he’s well."

He added: "Like all good horses he can really accelerate. He’s actually won relatively easily. When you look at his action and the way he behaved, he’s won well. 

"Jean-Louis [Bouchard, Feed The Flame's owner] started having horses with me in the 1980s and we’ve had plenty of good horses together. Now we have another very good one, closer to the end of our association than the start, it’s super." 

Demuro was called up for the ride as Christophe Soumillon is serving a four-day suspension, and is in a unique position, having ridden the two best three-year-old colts in France.

"He gave me a little bit of a fright early because he wasn't able to follow the rhythm but he knows how to sprint," said Demuro. "His only fault is that he takes a little while to warm up but once you ask him to pick up, he goes. 

"The gap actually opened up a bit soon but he flew and it's great to be able to celebrate in a Group 1 before the post."

Adelaide River followed up his second to Auguste Rodin in the Irish Derby with another gritty performance and, though no match for the winner, he held off Soul Sister by a neck for second.

France Galop president Edouard de Rothschild with Feed The Flame's owner, Jean-Louis Bouchard, trainer Pascal Bary and jockey Cristian Demuro

Ryan Moore said: "He’s run a very good race, I’m happy with him and he’s improving."

Having his biggest ride yet for John and Thady Gosden, Kieran Shoemark gave Soul Sister a smooth ride, angling her out from a potential trap on the rail. 

Shoemark said: "She's run a very creditable race. We didn't go particularly quick, which kind of suited us. She's got a strong turn of foot and I tried to utilise that into the straight. She picked up well for me but I struggled to peg back Ryan and I think we got beaten by a very, very good colt."

The Soul Sister camp had supplemented her with the idea of giving her a sighter of Longchamp ahead of the Prix Vermeille and her future may well be back in fillies-only company.

"She’s run a very good race," said joint-trainer Thady Gosden. "They went quick early to get their positions and then they steadied it up. They went a pretty sedate gallop round and she quickened up well. 

"The winner is an exceptional colt, he quickened up past the whole field from arguably the worst position in the race. He looked like a proper, proper horse. But we’re very pleased with how she ran."

Gosden added: "There’s options back against the fillies now, we’ll see how she comes out of the race and probably go back that way."

Feed The Flame's victory in the Grand Prix means that French-trained three-year-olds have won all seven of the Group 1s restricted to three-year-olds run in the country this season.

Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Coral: 5 Ace Impact (from 6), 7 Auguste Rodin, 10 Emily Upjohn, Paddington, 12-1 Blue Rose Cen, King Of Steel, 14 Bar

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