'Taking 3-1 about a horse with so many question marks is not a risk I'm willing to take' - your Arc weekend questions answered

Arc weekend is almost here. Two days of top-class racing await punters at Longchamp, with the headline act being Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05), generally considered to be one of the most sought-after prizes in the Flat calendar.

Looking forward to what promises to be an epic few days, our resident Punting Club judges, Harry Wilson, Joe Eccles and Liam Headd, are on hand to discuss hot topics and their weekend wagers . . .

I cannot see past Ace Impact in the Arc and expect him to do something really special, what does the panel think?
Lee Wainwright

Joe: I'll be taking him on, Lee. He's clearly very talented but every horse has their price and he looks short enough at 3-1 given that he's yet to run over the trip, or in open company. He was only three-quarters of a length in front of Al Riffa at Deauville last time and you could name your price on him for an Arc.

Liam: He really looks like such a special horse and it’s hardly a surprise to see him as the favourite given how he performed at the top level in the Prix du Jockey Club. The only concern I would have with him is the fact he’s yet to take on this trip and I believe some of his market rivals can use their experience at this distance to get the better of him.

Harry: It's very hard to knock an unbeaten horse. His victory in the Prix du Jockey Club was something to behold and I think he won with plenty in hand at Deauville last time, while his potent turn of pace will stand him in good stead for this race. He's open to any amount of improvement on just his sixth start and could be something very special, but taking 3-1 about a horse who has never tried the distance and is having their first start in all-age company is a risk I'm not willing to take, especially with plenty of talented horses in the field in opposition.

For who does the likely good ground at Longchamp favour and hinder in this year's Arc?
Jesse Hearin

Joe: It may well hamper my selection, Jesse! Feed The Flame has won all three of his starts with soft in the going description, and has been beaten both times that he has faced officially good ground. I still expect that this will be set up to suit his come-form-behind style of racing, however, and that Grand Prix de Paris success showed that there is certainly an engine there. Genuinely good ground would likely please the connections of Westover given his form figures on that surface read 1312, which includes an unlucky Derby third and a second to the high-class Equinox.

Westover: set to benefit from the likely good ground at Longchamp

Liam: Both Ace Impact and Hukum should have a serious chance regardless of the going as they’ve proven themselves on a variety of different underfoot conditions. Continuous won on good on his debut at the Curragh, but finished eighth behind Ace Impact in similar conditions at this track in the Prix du Jockey Club this summer, so the ground could be a slight issue for him. The Westover camp will be boosted by the drying ground, but Feed The Flame also finished behind Ace Impact in July and any rain would be a plus for him as he appears to go best on soft ground.

Harry: I was delighted to hear connections were supplementing Fantastic Moon and the good ground will be perfect for him. The German Derby winner is unbeaten over a mile and a half and propelled himself to the top of my Arc list after comfortably accounting for Feed The Flame in the Prix Niel last time. The sounder surface will also be a blessing for Westover, who was sixth on unfavoured very soft ground last year, while Ace Impact and Hukum won't be fazed by conditions having won on a variety of ground. Feed The Flame has a record of 3-5, with those two defeats the only twice he has encountered good ground, which would be a worry. Bay Bridge would probably prefer ground on the easy side of good, too, while Place Du Carrousel will likely need rain to give her best.

What chances do you give to Place Du Carrousel in the Arc? I thought she was a cosy winner last time out.
Phillip Austin

Joe: Andre Fabre claimed that Place Du Carrousel "really enjoyed the soft ground" when landing the l'Opera on this card 12 months ago, which is no surprise given that she is by Lope De Vega. I'd be a little concerned about her on this quicker surface, and while she was visually impressive in the Prix Foy, that looked by far the weakest of the card's three recognised trials.

Liam: I'd hold the same concerns as Joe regarding Place Du Carrousel. The four-year-old ran out a really nice winner of the Prix Foy last time out, which shows she gets the 1m4f trip, but the drying ground could hamper her chances as she's done all of her racing on ground with soft in the going description. A performance similar to her Prix de l'Opera win 12 months ago would give her a chance, but this is a much stronger test and she may find it difficult.

Harry: It looks like we're all in agreement that Place Du Carrousel is at her best on a softer surface. I don't think her performance in the Prix Foy was anything to get excited about either, as she took advantage of a better position than the second and third in a slowly run event. I'm not sure she proved her credentials for the big event and even Andre Fabre considered the trial to be a less-taxing race than the Vermeille – she'd be a shock winner in my book for sure.

Would Auguste Rodin have run a big race in the Arc, given the ground?
Jake Hammond

Joe: It is a little disappointing that – with Sprewell withdrawn earlier this week – we won't have any Derby representation in this year's Arc. The French three-year-olds do look a stronger bunch than their British and Irish counterparts, however, and I don't think Auguste Rodin would have won the Arc had his connections chosen this route – his absence suggests they think the same!

Auguste Rodin: a missed opportunity with the Arc?Credit: Edward Whitaker

Liam: It is a shame to not see Auguste Rodin take his chance in the race after bouncing back to winning ways in the Champion Stakes at Leopardstown as he'd be suited to the drying conditions. However, it's no surprise Aidan O'Brien has decided to keep his three-year-olds apart in a race of this nature. Auguste Rodin has won more times over this distance than Continuous, but the extended break between his last run and the Champions Stakes at Ascot is a bonus and the latter appears to favour racing outside Britain and Ireland more having raced in France twice.

Harry: Which Auguste Rodin would've turned up? He was bitterly disappointing on two of his three starts outside of Ireland this year, flopping as a short-priced favourite in the 2,000 Guineas and trailing in 127 lengths behind Hukum in the King George at Ascot, but travelling clearly isn't an issue as he won the Derby at Epsom in between. That would still be in the back of my mind, however, and although he would've enjoyed the ground, I wouldn't have been tempted to rely on him.

What chance do you give to Hukum in the Arc and what ground is best for him?
Jason O'Brien

Joe: A big chance, Jason. Plenty has been made about his absence since the King George but he's clearly best when fresh, form figures of 11141111 on the back of breaks of 50 days or more tell you as much! While slightly softer ground probably wouldn't go amiss, officially good going shouldn't inconvenience Hukum and I'd be surprised to see him out of the first four on Sunday.

Liam: The big advantage for Hukum is that he appears to go on any ground and together with his experience, he’s my pick for this year’s Arc. After a disappointing run in the Sheema Classic in March last year, the six-year-old ran a huge race to land the Coronation Cup three months later. He’s shown serious improvement in his two Group-level starts since, which included King George success last time out, and I’m expecting him to run another impressive race. Although he’s been drawn wide in stall 14, Golden Horn won from that position in 2015 and there’s no reason why Hukum can’t repeat that feat. This has been the long-term plan for Owen Burrows and the team, and I have faith he’ll be able to use his experience at the top level to strike once more.

Harry: Hukum has been a revelation in the last 18 months and will no doubt be a force on Sunday. A decisive winner of the Coronation Cup at Epsom last year, Hukum continued his fine record after a layoff when accounting for last year's Derby winner Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard in May and duly followed up after another break in the King George. Owen Burrows and the Shadwell team have decided to head to the Arc fresh, which looks the right call, and despite being a six-year-old, he looks firmly on the improve. The only slight negative would be his draw in stall 14, but winners have come from there before.

What would your selections be for an each-way Lucky 15 at Longchamp, please?
Phil Pevie

Joe: Feed The Flame in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05, Sunday), Stay Alert for Hughie Morrison in the Prix de l'Opera (3.50, Sunday), Coeur De Pierre in the Prix de l'Abbaye (4.25, Sunday) and Sauterne in the Prix de la Foret (5.00, Sunday).

Liam: Three-time winner Darnation in the Prix Marcel Boussac (1.50 Sunday), Bay Bridge in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05 Sunday), Lumiere Rock in the Prix de l'Opera (3.50 Sunday) and Moss Tucker (4.25, Sunday) in the Prix de l'Abbaye.

Harry: Opera Singer in the Prix Marcel Boussac (1.50, Sunday), Fantastic Moon in Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.05, Sunday), Rogue Millennium in the Prix de l'Opera (3.50 Sunday) and Get Ahead in the Prix de l'Abbaye (4.25, Sunday).

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