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By Scott Burton and James Stevens
Coach Francis-Henri Graffard lambasted the French authorities after feeling he had no choice but to dismiss international superstar challenger Verry Elleegant from the €5m Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.
Although the seven-year-old was transferred to Graffard specifically for archery, her participation was threatened when she was rated among the lowest rated of the 24 entries made for the big race at Longchamp. France Galop then confirmed that it would stick to a maximum field of 20.
Verry Elleegant received the official French rating of 113 – despite being a nine-time Group 1 winner in Australia and rated 120 – and demanded two horses retire to win a race in the Arc. No horse above her on the roster was scratched on Wednesday, so Relations ultimately decided not to complete her in the hopes she wouldn’t be able to race.
According to French rules, horses cannot be declared for two races at the same time. To guarantee a race on France’s biggest racing weekend, connections have declared Verry Elleegant for Saturday’s Qatar Prix de Royallieu, in which Mark Zahra is set to race.
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His trainer was angry at the situation and fears it will deter foreign competitors from France’s flagship races in the future.
Graffard said: “The planets really didn’t align for us, the Arc being a 72 hour statement. It’s a very bad situation for the French race. The French authorities have put us in a very bad situation and I am ashamed of their reaction and the way they have treated my owners and this mare since her arrival in France.
“I’m sure it will cost horses sent to France by foreign owners in the future.
“We had to make a choice otherwise she wouldn’t have a race at the Arc or at the Royallieu. At 11:30 I saw that nothing had come out of the Arc, so we had to keep her at the Royallieu. “
Verry Elleegant has raced twice since leaving the stables of Chris Waller in Australia, finishing last on her first start but showing improved form when she was third in the Prix Foy, a key Arc event, this this month.
West Wind Blows, a 66-1 chance for Simon and Ed Crisford, were also eliminated on Wednesday and will compete in Saturday’s Prix Dollar at Longchamp instead.
Aidan O’Brien-formed Luxembourg continue to lead the bets at 7-2 with most companies, closely followed by 5-1 Alpinista and last year’s hero Torquator Tasso.
The ground at Longchamp was changed to soft, good to soft in places following a drizzly night in Paris, but the entire course used for the Arc is described as soft.
The only areas of the track said to be good to soft are the sprint track, a seven furlong section of the start and the corner away from the straight. More rain is expected on Wednesday.
Arc entries remaining
Title holder
Luxemburg
Vadeni
Mishriff
deep link
Onesto
Torquator Cup
mountaineer
Make equality
Westover
Alenquer
Broome
Mendocino
Mostahdaf
stay stupid
bubble gift
Australis mare
Sea route
Great Glory
Al Hakeem
cut line
The Parisian
True Testament
The Steed
Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (3.05 Longchamp, Sunday)
Sky Bet: 7-2 Luxembourg, 5-1 Alpinista, 7 Torquator Tasso, 15-2 Vadeni, 8 Titleholder, 9 Westover, 10 Onesto, 12 La Parisienne, 20 Mishriff, 22 Mare Australis, 25 bar
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FIRST PUBLICATION AT 11:53 AM, SEPTEMBER 28, 2022
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