‘I’m surprised he’s still 12/1’ – Adrian Wall eyes up the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

With the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe only a matter of days away now, the excitement is building and it could be one of the most competitive renewals we will see in quite some time. Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has five of the 18 entries at the first forfeit stage in Los Angeles, Auguste Rodin, Continuous, Opera Singer and Luxembourg, so Ballydoyle could be firing a few spanners in the works. However, it’s another Irish handler who might have the winner in his sights!

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Back Al Riffa for Arc success

Aidan might have plenty of firepower but it’s his son Joseph who has the best Irish horse in the race in my opinion and I’m surprised he’s still 12/1. I think he’s a classier horse than Los Angeles and that rival is a good deal shorter in the market so Al Riffa certainly offers plenty of value in the each-way market I think.

The son of Wootton Bassett was hugely impressive when winning the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in August, forging clear to win by five lengths. That was his first try at 1m4f and he seemed to relish it, while it’s also worth noting Alpinista and Torquator Tasso won that German Group 1 before going on to win the Arc.

We usually don’t see good ground at Longchamp at this time of the year and it’s safe to say we can expect it to be soft or very soft come Sunday. Al Riffa won the Group 1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh in very testing conditions and he was only a length off City Of Troy in the Coral Eclipse at Sandown in July. He has to have a huge chance.

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