The 2021 flat racing season may be drawing to a close, but the action isn’t over yet. In fact, October is actually one of the most exciting months for fans of the sport, with the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris and the seasonal conclusion at British Champions Day at Ascot just some of the main attractions before flat racing makes way for the National Hunt campaign to restart in November.
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, or simply ‘the Arc’, is the richest race in Europe, with owners, trainers and jockeys from all over the world making their way to the French capital in a bid to land a slice of the hefty €5 million prize purse, and with Snowfall and Wonderful Tonight, whose career was ended due to a recent injury, pulling out of this year’s race, the door to Longchamp’s prestigious winners’ enclosure has been metaphorically blown wide open.
Given the quality on show in a race like the Arc, there is always the possibility of a winner storming over the line from left of field. So, we have scoured through what are the best horse racing betting sites to pick out some outsiders in with a chance of causing an upset at Longchamp. Read on to find out more!
St Mark’s Basilica – 12/1
Given St Mark’s Basilica’s form this season, it is somewhat surprising that the Aidan O’Brien-trained horse is as far out as 12/1 to win the Arc. The three-year-old has had a sensational campaign thus far, kicking the year off with back-to-back Group 1 victories in France, winning the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at Longchamp and the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly. The big victories have just kept flowing, with further top-group triumphs in the Sandown Eclipse in July and the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown earlier this month, where he beat Tarnawa — the current favourite to win the Arc.
Teona – 20/1
Teona didn’t have the best of starts to the season, finishing third in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York before a disappointing 10th-place finish in the Group 1 Epsom Oaks. However, the Roger Varian-trained horse has turned her season around since then, beating Desert Encounter to win the Listed August Stakes at Windsor before stunning her old rival Snowfall to the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp. That fantastic length and a half triumph is the reason the O’Brien-trained horse has been withdrawn from the Arc, and Teona looks to be in fine fettle heading back to Longchamp for the one mile, four-furlong contest next month.
Mishriff – 12/1
Another 12/1 shot, you can never rule out a John and Thady Gosden-trained horse, and Mishriff is no exception. The four-year-old won the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly and the Group 2 Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville last season, and started this season well, landing the Saudi Cup at Riyadh before winning the Group 1 Sheema Classic at Meydan, where he beat fellow Arc contender Chrono Genesis by a neck. On his return to Britain, Mishriff was third in the Eclipse, and after finishing second in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Ascot, he was back in the winners’ enclosure with a recent six-length victory over Alenquer in the Juddmonte International Stakes. That win came at the perfect time with the big season-ending meetings on the horizon, so it will be interesting to see if he can finish on a bang.
