Longchamp report: Twenty years after Dancing Brave's searing run to victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, a huge crowd gathered to the west of Paris yesterday expecting to see a repeat performance by Japan's Deep Impact. When the pedal hit the floor, though, there was no explosion of speed, and instead of a revolution, there was victory for tradition, as Rail Link, a three-year-old winner of the Prix Niel gave trainer Andre Fabre a record-breaking seventh victory, holding off the fast finish of Pride at the incredible local starting price of 24 to 1.
Rail Link was such an Identikit winner of a modern Arc - the right age, the right trainer and the winner of the right prep-race - that he was an 8 to 1 chance with British bookmakers. His odds were inflated to three times that on the PMU, the French Tote, however, as thousands of Japanese backers poured millions of euros into the "machine", regardless of the fact that Tote systems ensure that the more you put on, the less you get back. "It's the craziest betting race I've ever seen in my life," Mike Dillon, Ladbrokes' veteran racecourse PR man, said as Rail Link was led back to the winner's enclosure yesterday, and he has seen plenty.
"We were laying 5 to 2 about Deep Impact in London, and he started at an industry price of 9 to 4 in Britain, but at the same moment, there were people here queuing in lines a quarter of a mile long to back him when the screen is showing him at 1 to 10."
Deep Impact had earned his huge following from Japan with 10 victories in 11 previous starts, generally using hold-up tactics before coming with a blistering turn of foot in the final two furlongs. He was close up from the off yesterday, though, as Irish Wells took the eight-runner field - one of the smallest ever in the race - along at a moderate pace.
Yutaka Take, Deep Impact's jockey, briefly took the lead at the top of the straight, as Shirocco and Hurricane Run, both of them, like the winner, trained by Fabre, attempted to maintain a challenge. Both have a preference for some cut in the ground, though, and neither could make their presence felt on going that was unusually fast for Paris in October.
Instead, it was Stephane Pasquier and Rail Link who quickened past Deep Impact at the furlong pole, and the Japanese colt had nothing to offer in response. Pride, who had been patiently ridden by Christophe Lemaire, was closing the gap rapidly at the line, but Rail Link stayed on to win by a neck, with Deep Impact another half-length away in third.
The decision to send Deep Impact straight to the Arc without a prep-race is one that Yasuo Ikee, his trainer, may regret as he reflects on yesterday's race, while a proper pacemaker might also have made a difference to the result.
On an afternoon when Mandesha broke the 10-furlong course record (with the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite Alexandrova a fast-finishing third), the Arc was run seven seconds below record time, and Deep Impact's famous turn of foot was a blunt weapon as a result.
Even when you have everything in your favour, though, it still takes something special to beat Fabre, in this race above all. All but one of his seven winners have been three-year-olds. Whether Fabre's record is measured by championships, big-race winners or sheer durability, he is quite clearly the finest trainer in Europe.
"It is always a big reward to win the Arc with a three-year-old against the older horses," Fabre said.
"He was always a laid-back horse and a big horse earlier in the year, so we gave him time. He had the right to be here. He is finished for the year but Shirocco could still go to the Breeders' Cup."
It was also a remarkable day for Irish-trained horses as Holy Roman Emperor was cut to 7 to 1 from 10 to 1 by the sponsors for the 2,000 Guineas after a mesmerising display in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere.
Kieren Fallon used his mount's trademark turn of foot to perfection as the combination gunned down Battle Paint by two lengths, with Vital Equine third.
O'Brien wants to run Holy Roman Emperor again and take on his National Stakes conqueror Teofilo in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket on October 14th.
Finsceal Beo, from the same stable as Teofilo, is a name to be reckoned with for the 1,000 Guineas after she scooted home for trainer Jim Bolger and jockey Kevin Manning in the Prix Marcel Boussac.
Guardian Service
