Dubai: Despite having been handed the unfavourable stall 15 for Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, the connections of the much-fancied, UAE-owned Taghrooda need only to look back at last year’s race for encouragement.
A good draw certainly helps, but 12 months ago the brilliant Treve made a mockery of the draw hypothesis when she broke from the very same gate to post a stunning five-length victory over Japanese raider Orfevre.
Trainer John Gosden and jockey Paul Hanagan may have to reassess their big-race tactics as a result of the draw, but Taghrooda’s tactical speed will help Hanagan obtain a good position early on, from where he can then ride his race as he bids to secure a first Arc for owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.
Hanagan was relishing the prospect to getting the leg-up on Taghrooda in the historic race, saying: “She won’t shy from anything really, she can hold her own.
“She’s a big filly, she rides kind of like a colt so that [a big field] wouldn’t worry me,” he added on the RTE website.
Meanwhile, British bookmakers took note of the results of the draw and made Ectot, a winner of his last six starts including the Group 2 Prix Niel at Longchamp in September, the joint 6/1 favourite with Taghrooda,
A son of Hurricane Run, Ectot was drawn in stall 10 and will be ridden by regular partner Gregory Benoist.
The French ace has also been associated with another exciting French-trained colt, Avenir Certain, who drew stall one, which is often referred to as a coffin box.
Benoist had first choice over the two horses but elected to partner Ectot over the French 2,000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Avenir Certain, who will now be ridden by Christophe Lemaire.
Sylvain Vidal, racing manager to Gerard Augustin-Normand, who part-owns both horses, said on the RTE website: “Both horses are very well and it was very hard for Gregory to choose between them.
“Gregory was in Pau on Tuesday to ride Avenir Certain in a very good gallop, so it was very hard to choose one, but he did.
“Ectot is not difficult to ride, but has a lot of character, so for the team I think this was the best decision.
“Avenir Certain is very easy to ride and Ectot could be a little bit tense in the race. Gregory Benoist has always ridden him, so he knows him very well.”
Lemaire, who was delighted to have picked up the ride on Avenir Certain, tweeted: “My ride in the Arc will be Avenir Certain!!!”
A full field of 20 horses will contest the Longchamp feature, which attracts champions from all over the world, and the list of famous winners includes Dancing Brave, Montjeu, Sea The Stars and Treve.