With one of the richest flat races of the season only just round the corner, we are going to take a deeper look into the ante post betting and some of the favoured horses to go on and take the prize pot of over €5 million.
Many strong horses are set to go to post but we have narrowed it down to five that we think are the horses to follow in the betting in the lead up to this prestigious race at Longchamp in Paris.
The favourite in the betting and for many favourable reasons is last year's winner of this race and Cartier Horse Of The Year Enable trained by John Gosden.
Enable before her recent run at Kempton two weeks ago had been off the track for just under a year due to setbacks in training with the overall goal for her four year old season to be back at full capacity for the Arc.
Her seasonal return at kempton was a very apprehensive one with the big question that needed to be answered was will she be the same horse as last year and within two minutes everyone had there answer.
On the all weather against a proven horse in Crystal Ocean, she breezed to the line winning comfortably by five lengths staking her claim for favouritism in the Arc.
Her trainer after the race added to the hype of this horse by only saying she was about 80 to 85 percent fit when running that race making her even more frightening when getting to France at potentially 100 percent.
This special horse is favourite for a reason and will be looking to make it back to back Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe's and extend her unbeaten run to eight races in front of a very atmospheric Longchamp.
(Credit Racing UK)
The second favourite in this year's Arc is the brilliant daughter of Sea The Stars who since making her debut this year has gone on to win four out her five races with two of them being in Group 1 company.
Having a wonderful pedigree really got heads turning when this horse was unleashed into the racing world but how it has actually performed was arguably nothing that anyone had imagined.
Her Group 1 race at the Curragh in the Irish Oaks was the moment that really put her on the map, just getting up on the line to beat Forever Together who won the Epsom Oaks.
From there her last outing was even better at the Ebor festival in the Yorkshire oaks, she went on to blitz the field comfortably setting up her argument to be included in the Arc.
Trainer William Haggas is full steam ahead with this idea and at the moment this horse looks the closest challenge to the favourite Enable, she is not to be ruled out what so ever.
(Credit Racing UK)
One of the most talented horses in the field and another from the Gosden is the outstanding Cracksman. This year was set to be his break through year after showing glimpses of brilliance as a three year old when winning and being very competitive in big Group 1 contests.
However it hasn't quite been the case. It started so well with a victory at Longchamp on his seasonal debut where he justified long odds on favouritism to Blitz the field in the Group 1 Prix Ganay.
He was next seen on Derby day at Epsom in the Group 1 Coronation Cup where he made hard work of the race to eventually get up and win but it did put doubt into some punters minds.
They were right to have done so as at the Royal meeting in the Prince Of Wales's Stakes he was beaten by Poet's Word and it was a poor performance from him at the time he was the highest rated horse in the sport.
Since then John Gosden has held him back and has not raced him since, he is set to have one race before the the first Sunday in October and his trainer has said he will be better come Autumn, it is now time to see if the proof is in the pudding.
If he can get back to his best or even better than what we have seen before the 7/1 on offer is a gift and he will be a serious contender to go and take this race.
(Credit Racing UK)
The fourth in the betting is the french raider Waldgeist and one of a cluster of Andre Fabre's team that will be taking part in this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
This four year old has had four races this season after a fairly disappointing season the year before as a three year old racing in contests that were a class above his level and he didn't win one race.
However, this season has been a huge transformation and he has turned into a really smart middle distance horse. Racing at Group 2 and 3 level he has found his level and has been able to get off the mark with all victories coming in France.
His last two performances have been his best in his career winning a Group 1 for the first time at Saint Cloud beating some really smart horses. Last weekend he backed that up with a Group 2 win at Longchamp in the Qatar Prix Foy heading a 1-2-3 for Andre Fabre.
At 9/1 this horse is very much a strong each way chance and could possibly be the value in the race depending what price Enable goes off at. He has some of the strongest form claims and it wouldn't be a shock to see this four year old go close on a track he is very familiar with.
(Credit Racing UK)
The final horse that we are going to preview that we think can go close at a really nice price is the ultra consistent Sir Michael Stoute trained Crystal Ocean.
This four year old is one of the most unluckiest horses in training having been able to comfortably beat Group 2 and 3 fields and then when stepped up to Group 1 company which he is more than capable in, he has always been pipped on the line and still to this day hasn't managed to get a win at that level.
This season he has been brilliant, being a really smart intelligent horse and winning some nice prize money at group 2 level. His big step up was in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot where he was just beaten by his stable mate Poet's Word in an agonising finish.
From there, on his latest outing he took on Enable on her return and for a horse of his talent was impressively beaten by five lengths when she wasn't even at full potential.
This sends out alarm bells that Crystal Ocean unless there is substantial improvement will not beat enable but at 20/1 is brilliant each way value and where the money could be at.
(Credit Racing UK)
