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2007 Pre-Arc Saturday at Longchamp


Jockey Stephane Pasquier celebrates his win for the Prix del la Foret Casino Barriere De Biarritz (group 1) aboard Toylsome

     Arc de Triomphe results
     Other Arc day stakes

Date: 10/06/2007

The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, run on the first Sunday in October at Longchamp in Paris is the highlight of the European racing season. Longchamp also hosts a card of stakes races on the Saturday before Arc day, highlighted by the 250,000-euro Prix de la Foret Casino Barriere de Biarritz (G1). A field of 13 older horses sprinted 1400 meters (about 7 furlongs) on the "grande piste" course, with Tariq sent off as the 8-5 favorite over 7-5 second choice Marchand d'Or and 6-1 third choice U.S. Ranger.


Toylsome wins the Prix de la Foret

50-1 longshot Toylsome went right to the lead under jockey Stephane Pasquier while being stalked by 91-1 longest shot Welsh Emperor the whole way. Favorite Tariq was held up by jockey Frankie Dettori and sat near the back of the field around the turn and into the lane. At the top of the stretch, Pasquier asked Toylsome to open up and he did, as he drew off to win going away by 2 1/2 lengths over Welsh Emperor in a time of 1:22.50 over the soft turf course. It was just 3/4 length back to late-running Marchand d'Or in third, while favorite Tariq failed to fire when asked, finishing fifth.
Results chart with a link to the photo finish shot


Jockey Stephane Pasquier celebrates the win while returning aboard Toylsome after the Prix de la Foret. Owner Baron Georg von Ullmann said, "It was a shock but a very positive shock. Pasquier was riding the horse a couple of weeks ago in Cologne where he won very easy and suggested we try him in this big race. It's nice to see such horses can win on Arc weekend. He deserves it. He is a great horse who always tries."


Left: The trophy presentation with jockey Stephane Pasquier and owner Baron Georg von Ullmann. Von Ullman said, "You can't plan too much ahead with a very old man. We will see what he is going to tell us after the race but until now as far as I am concerned he has nothing to prove. Why travel too far if he enjoys it close to Cologne and Munich."

Right: Toylsome unsaddles in the walking ring after the race.


Second place finisher Welsh Emperor in the walking ring before the race. His trainer said, "If you can't win it's pretty good to be second. It's a dream for people like us. It's unbelievable for a small stable like ours to be placed in Group 1 race. The horse is such a star. We'll probably run him again this season as he likes the soft going."


Third place finisher Marchand d'Or returns after the race. His trainer Freddie Head said, "It was funny race and I'm obviously disappointed but we finished best of the good horses. As long as the horse comes out well he will go to Hong Kong."



Coastal Path beats Noble Prince and Royal and Regal to win the Prix Chaudenay Casino Barriere De Menton

On the undercard were four Group 2 stakes events, each for a purse of 130,000 euros. The first of these was the Prix Chaudenay Casino Barriere de Menton (G2), a marathon race of 3000 meters (about 1 7/8 miles) for older horses. 12-1 Friston Forest set the early pace while being stalked by 7-1 Royal Regal for the first mile. With 7 furlongs to go, Royal Regal took over the lead around the far turn and into the stretch. However, 2-5 favorite Coastal Path, who had settled in midpack 4th early on, put in a strong late rally to take over the lead inside the 1/8 pole and held off late-running 6-1 Noble Prince in the final strides to win by 3/4 length in 3:17.80. it was just a head back to Royal and Regal in third. Fourth place finisher Friston Forest completed a superfecta sweep of the race by trainer Andre Fabre.
Results chart with a link to the photo finish shot


Coastal Path in the walking ring before the race. Terry Grimthorpe, racing manager for winning owner Khalid Abdullah (Juddmonte Farms) said, "Four for four (for his career) is very satisfactory. He is still a bit immature but he is certainly going to be a really interesting horse for us next year. He probably won't run again this year. We think he might be a mile and a half type."



Anna Pavlova wins the Prix De Royallieu Hotel Hermitage Barriere

The Prix de Royallieu Hotel Hermitage Barriere (G2) featured older fillies and mares going 2500 meters (about 1 9/16 miles). Jockey Olivier Peslier sent 11-1 shot Ioannina right to the lead out of the gate as she set the pace down the long backstretch while being stalked by 9-2 Kaloura. 2-1 favorite All My Loving sat just off the front-runners in third early. Entering the stretch, Ioannina began to tire as 5-1 Synopsis took over the lead at the 1/4 pole. Through the stretch, 7-2 second choice Anna Pavlova, who raced in 8th early, came out wide and closed strongly down the outside of the course to win going away by 2 1/2 lengths over 41-1 outsider Princesse Dansante in 2:41.30. It was just 3/4 lengths more to 9-2 Darsha in third, while favorite All My Loving faded through the stretch to finish ninth.
Results chart with a link to the photo finish shot


Anna Pavlova and jockey Frankie Dettori return to the walking ring for the trophy presentation. Her trainer Richard Fahey said, "I'm quite pleased, very pleased in fact. To be honest I was expecting that. The filly had been unlucky in the past but everything came right today. She's a legend. I've been keeping her away from fast ground. She'll stay in training next year and we'll pray for soft ground. She might run in Rome (in the Premio Lydia Tesio-G1).



Spirito Del Vento wins the Prix Daniel Wildenstein Castel Marie-louise De La Baule

The Prix Daniel Wildenstein Castel Marie-Louise de La Baule (G2) featured a field of eleven older horses going 1600 meters (about 1 mile). 22-1 longshot Gloria de Campeao led the field for the first quarter mile before dropping back, relinquishing the lead to 7-1 Racinger, who was being stalked by even-money favorite Echo of Light the whole way. Into the stretch, jockey Frankie Dettori moved Echo of Light outside for running room setting up a brief duel with Racinger. The pair battled to the 3/16 pole but 6-1 Spirito Del Vento, who was last entering the stretch, closed with a rush down the outside of the course, taking over the lead at the 1/8 pole and drawing off to win by 2 lengths over Racinger in 1:40.90. It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to late-running 41-1 Blythe Knight in third. Favorite Echo of Light faded in late stretch to finish fifth.
Results chart with a link to the photo finish shot


Spirito Del Vento returns to the barn after the race. Winning trainer Jean-Marie Beguigne said, "The quality of the horse speaks for itself. He has a great acceleration and he showed that today, as he did in the Prix du Chemin de Fer du Nord and when he was a two-year-old. If he is invited, I would like to take him to Hong Kong for the Hong Kong Cup."



Musical Way wins the Prix Dollar Casino Barriere De Montreux

Closing out the stakes action on Saturday was the Prix Dollar Casino Barriere de Montreux (G2) for older horses going 2000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles). 57-1 longest shot Runaway set the early pace down the backstretch and around the turn while being stalked by 10-1 Musical Way and 26-1 Rhenus the whole way. At the top of the stretch, Runaway stubbornly held the lead but was weakening, as Musical Way took over the lead with a furlong to go. Through the stretch, Musical Way held off Rhenus to win by 1 length in 2:04.20. It was a neck back to 10-1 Loup Breton in third. However, Rhenus was disqualified and placed fifth, moving Loup Breton to second and 12-1 fourth place finisher Boris de Deauville to third. 9-5 favorite Sageburg finished fifth but moved up to fourth as he was interfered with by Rhenus just outside the 1/16 pole.
Results chart with a link to the photo finish shot


Musical Way in the walking ring before the race. Winning trainer Phillipe van de Poele said, "This is my first Group 2 win, and for (jockey) Roman Thomas too. She did it well today. She might have a break now as she has now won three races in just a month. She also has options in Italy and Hong Kong."

If you want to understand some of the differences between racing in North America and France, check here.

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