Unbeaten Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victor Ace Impact has been retired to stud.
Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, the three-year-old has enjoyed an exemplary campaign, rising through the ranks from a Cagnes-Sur-Mer all-weather win in January to an electrifying length-and-three-quarters victory in the ParisLongchamp showpiece at the start of this month.
After his initial win in January, Rouget bided his time until sending Ace Impact for a conditions win in April, with a Listed success coming the following month.
Upped to Group One level for the Prix du Jockey Club after that, the son of Cracksman showed his trademark turn of foot to win the French equivalent of the Derby by three and a half lengths from Big Rock.
A Group Two victor in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville in August, Ace Impact was a short-priced Arc favourite and he justified that confidence with a stylish success under Cristian Demuro.
Owned in partnership by Serge Stempniak and the Chehboub family’s Gousserie Racing, connections had considered a possible Japan Cup bid or even campaigning on in 2024, but eventually opted to retire their star to stand at Haras de Beaumont stud in Normandy.
Cristian Demuro returns with Ace Impact after the Arc (PA)
Ace Impact bows out the winner of each of his six career starts, boasting a rating of 128 which puts him just 1lb behind top Japanese runner Equinox.
“The way he races and his acceleration is very rare in a racehorse,” said Rouget.
“Very few racehorses are able to accelerate like that and for me (2008 Arc winner) Zarkava was a super champion and maybe had the superior acceleration, but he is not far from that.
“He gave me a great day when winning the Arc and also the Prix du Jockey Club and all the races were delicious. We started very slowly and then progressed to Listed, Group One and Group Two and then another Group One.
“We had very good days with Almanzor in the Prix du Jockey Club and Sottsass in the Jockey Club and the Arc and (they) were equally good champions. With Ace Impact his acceleration is stronger and with him, in three steps, the race is over.”
On his overriding memories of Ace Impact and the opportunity to train his progeny in the future, the handler added: “We have a few years to wait and we will try to find another one like him.
“We are champion trainer for the fifth time in France thanks to Ace Impact.
“My memory of him will be he is he is not impressive in the morning, but when racing, he is another horse with very strong acceleration.”
I know I should be dedicating much of today’s article to celebrating France’s successful conclusion to their horseracing Holy Grail – finding an unbeaten three-year-old colt who can win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, preferably as the favourite for Europe’s greatest race, writes Tony Stafford.
As I watched on a nice big screen at a much more leisurely Epsom racecourse yesterday, I picked out the motionless Christian Demuro near the back of the 15-horse field and not for one moment did I think Ace Impact wouldn’t win.
The sprint, when it finally came, was prototype “Arc”, Ace Impact sailing past them all down the outside with any doubts about stamina, class, or anything else you care to mention, made totally irrelevant by the manner of the win.
France has a true champion, one going by an appropriate name that is sure to adorn many colts and fillies down the road. Sir Philip Oppenheimer can be proud of the sire, Cracksman, bred by him from Frankel out of a Pivotal mare and now standing at Darley Stud.
Unlike Golden Horn, which he also bred, Cracksman didn’t win the Derby, finishing third to one of the least remembered winners, Wings Of Eagles and Padraig Beggy - although one that John Gosden, Cracksman’s trainer, thought a talented performer who might have gone further had he not finished lame in the Irish Derby in which he was a close third to stablemate Capri.
Ace Impact’s owners, who shelled out €75k for him as a yearling at the Deauville August sale of 2021 can sit back and wait for the offers to come flying in. The previous Jean-Claude Rouget winner of the race was Sotssass, who is now standing at stud at Coolmore at a fee of €25k. His racing owner Peter Brant was at Newmarket on Saturday.
We had a chat as the juvenile Group races were adding lustre to the first part of the card but, in the manner of racing at the top end, I’m not sure Peter had much of a second glance at the Cambridgeshire. I said here last week how it’s one of my favourite races and having made the 20/1 winner Astro King my best bet of the day in Trainers Quotes, a line I manage every day, I like the race even more.
I did mention that had Silver Sword been left in by Dylan Cunha, he would have been my confident choice, but the South African, who will be moving into the soon-to-retire William Jarvis’ Phantom House Stables, thought it would be coming too soon after his run in a Listed race at Sandown.
He knows best and that at least eased up the chance to stay with a horse I’d latched onto before the John Smith’s Cup at York in July when he started the astonishingly big price of 50/1 considering what an eye-catcher the ex-Sir Michael Stoute horse had been two races previously on first start for his new stable at Yarmouth.
Daniel and Claire Kubler train the six-year-old Astro King, who had been coming to win his race at York, going narrowly past the leader with a thrilling late run only to be caught in mid-stride, not by the winner so much as the camera which just happened to be situated at the only spot that would have counted against him.
Victory in the John Smith’s would have been a feather in the double Kubler cap. Instead, they had to wait for the Ebor meeting to make amends, the gelding having been raised 3lb, but still having plenty left to continue his upward trend in the Clipper Logistics handicap earning £51k in the process.
Astro King had been a buy from the Sir Mchael Stoute stable at the 2022 Horses in Training sales at Newmarket, for £36k having been originally bought as a yearling for 375,000gns from Book 1 of the October Yearling sales there four years earlier.
Sir Michael had nudged him into the low hundreds by his four-year-old days but after a less successful than expected five-year-old season, Desert Crown’s owner decided to draw stumps.
He had finished second (2021) and fourth in successive Royal Hunt Cup challenges, so understandably that was the first major handicap targeted by the Kublers. That race came between the Yarmouth eye-opener and the John Smith’s so when he trailed home only 21st of 30 at the Royal meeting, it would have been understandable if they had lost faith.
Instead, they embarked on a path mirroring and far out-performing what Sir Michael had achieved two years earlier, the Hunt Cup excepted.
As a four-year old he was 12th of 20 in the John Smith’s as the 7/1 joint-favourite and a close third in the Clipper, again as joint market-leader. He was off 102 when beating only one home in that year’s Cambridgeshire on his final start.
On Saturday, having been raised to 107 after the Ebor meeting win, he topped the weights with a massive 9st12lb. I’ve been limited in my research, lists of pre-1977 winners appearing without the weights carried, but certainly over the past 100 years this has been the biggest weight carried to victory.
It came with quite a comfortable course along the favoured stands side from his draw right on the rail in 35. Richard Kingscote was unhurried and once his determined mount hit the front in the last furlong, he was always holding the excessively gambled-on favourite Greek Order by half a length. Winner and second are both by Kingman but the runner-up, who was receiving 17lb, is a Juddmonte home-bred.
Dan Kubler began training in 2012 and in his first nine campaigns never won more than eleven races in a season. Those numbers have moved up markedly since adding wife Claire’s name to the licence. Claire is the daughter of their principal owners, breeders Gary and Lesley Middlebrook.
A feature of their training pattern has been the willingness to target the valuable prizes on offer in such as the Racing League and Sunday series, so that already this year, from 18 wins at 15% they have amassed £462k, far exceeding 2022’s whole year tally of £326k.
Claire, a qualified accountant, grew up around horses at her parents’ stud. Dan didn’t waste his time either, working for Roger Charlton and Jeremy Noseda in the UK and having spells with Ben Cecil in the US, Francois Doumen in France and Gai Waterhouse in Australia.
Saturday’s great win will give their upwardly mobile career a big boost, not only because of winning a major, prestigious race, but also with a weight-carrying record to boot. I expect a lot of prospective owners will be looking up their Google maps to find their way to Sarsen Farm, Upper Lambourn.
*
I enjoyed a first yesterday. I’ve often tagged onto the end of the scrum inside the Epsom winner’s circle after the Derby or Oaks and watched from near but at the same time oh so far away as the Queen, attended by Bernard Kantor in the days his bank Investec were the Classics’ sponsors, presented the winner’s trophy.
Yesterday, with neither of Strong Impact’s owners in attendance, I represented Ed Babington and my friend Jonathan Barnett as their promising maiden filly gained a facile first win after three good second places this year.
She was long odds-on to do so, but what was a surprise was when Anthony Kemp told me that Clare Balding was there to deliver the very nice glass bowl that went to the winner.
I understand the plan is to keep the 81-rated Roger Varian filly, a daughter of Saxon Warrior, in training as a four-year-old and she has the temperament and physique to develop into a high-class handicapper. The Gary Moore-trained runner-up Soigneux Bell should be watched out for, as he is about to make a start in juvenile hurdles after his second to Strong Impact, trying to concede 12lb. He won his sole race in France over two miles back in May, considering which he showed decent speed over this ten furlongs.
As we waited for the winner’s parcel to be made up, we reminisced that I had actually given Clare her first paid journalistic assignment in the racing pages of the Daily Telegraph. Everything is so long ago, and she revealed that the lovely regular walks she does for Radio Four have been going for 24 years. She has an idea for a special guest for the Silver Anniversary edition next year but I dare not reveal who she hopes willl join her.
- TS
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/AceImpact_Arc2023.png319830Tony Staffordhttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngTony Stafford2023-10-02 07:13:312023-10-02 08:36:22Monday Musings: Of Kubler’s King, and Double Impact
Jean-Claude Rouget’s unshakeable confidence in Ace Impact proved fully justified, as the unbeaten colt produced a performance for the ages in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
The son of Cracksman’s path to becoming Europe’s premier middle-distance colt has not been a conventional one, but then this is no ordinary colt.
Provincial wins at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January and Bordeaux in early April suggested Ace Impact was a horse of some potential. But few could have envisaged at that stage he would go on to secure one of the most visually striking Arc wins in recent memory.
The three-year-old was dominant when claiming Classic glory in the French Derby in June – and while the margin of his next triumph in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano did not leave every onlooker purring, Rouget knew there was more in the tank.
Cristian Demuro returns with Ace Impact (PA)
Baked in Parisian sunshine, Ace Impact went to post for his biggest test as the 5-2 favourite and it was impossible to be anything but blown away by the way he found a Dancing Brave-esque turn of speed to run down the leaders and ultimately win with consummate ease.
It was put to Rouget in the aftermath that the majority of those in attendance were left speechless, but he said: “Actually, I more or less expected to see that turn of foot and that acceleration.
“He wasn’t able to show it at Cagnes-Sur-Mer or Bordeaux, but even after a slow beginning in the Prix du Jockey Club he literally flew home.
“At Deauville he wasn’t ready and I know people we were saying he had not run at Longchamp before, but I thought he would be able to deploy that acceleration, especially on the ground we have today.
“My last reflection before the start of the race was to say to myself, ‘it’s too good to be true’, but it was not too good, it was true!”
Ace Impact after his sensational triumph at ParisLongchamp (Ashley Iveson/PA)
Supporters of Ace Impact will undoubtedly have been a little worried beforehand, as he was noticeably on his toes in the parade ring before Cristian Demuro was given the leg-up.
Rouget – who struck with the Demuro-ridden Sottsass in 2020 – insisted he was not overly concerned, adding: “You just have to manage it. He’s like a child, an adolescent who needs to be looked after and reassured constantly. If he was able to talk, he would tell you he’s a very sensitive being.
“I knew the horse was in stronger shape than he was for the Prix du Jockey Club, which is normal as he’s more mature now. He was in marvellous shape before the race.
“The best acceleration I’ve ever seen is Zarkava and this horse is not far off. Sottsass was a very good horse and a very strong horse, but he was not the same type of horse. He was an extraordinary horse, but this one has the power of acceleration of one of the top horses in the world.”
Demuro was able to begin celebrating before passing the post in front, such was the authority with which Ace Impact won, before performing a Frankie Dettori-like flying dismount on returning to the winner’s enclosure.
Ace Impact before winning the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (PA)
He said: “I knew it was the last day (at Longchamp) for Frankie, so I did it for him!”
Of Ace Impact, he added: “I knew when I was going to push the button he was going to accelerate, and that is what he did.
“It’s amazing to win the Arc for the second time with an amazing horse. He has a wonderful turn of foot. He’s just a champion.
“I started screaming 200 metres from the post because I saw I was going to win, so I started screaming with the horse.”
What the future holds for Ace Impact remains undecided, with various possibilities on the table.
He could be retired to stud with an unbeaten record, he could have a crack at the Japan Cup before the year is out and he could even be back next season, but connections are understandably keen to let the dust settle before committing to anything.
Pauline Chehboub, representing part owners Gousserie Racing, said: “It was a dream to be able to run the horse against all those champions in that race today.
“Obviously we have to take some time and see how the horse is after his race and then discuss it with the whole team, to see what is next.
“The Japan Cup is one of the greatest races on the whole planet, so we we will see. It’s not a no, but we don’t know about the future.”
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Ace Impact once again displayed his sensational turn of foot as he sprinted to glory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
Unbeaten in five previous runs for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, the Prix du Jockey Club winner was trying his hand at 12 furlongs for the first time in the European middle-distance championship.
Employing his usual waiting tactics, Cristian Demuro settled Ace Impact – who got very worked up in the paddock beforehand – at the back of the field before unleashing his electrifying burst in the closing stages to overhaul the gallant Westover and pull away for an impressive triumph.
Ace Impact after his sensational triumph at ParisLongchamp (Ashley Iveson/PA)
Rouget said: “I won with Sottsass three years ago, it was incredible because I started in Pau a long time ago. It’s a long way (journey of training career) and two Arcs in four years is fantastic.”
He added: “I am like a very backward horse and I am just maturing now. So I hope I have a few good years again in front of me.
“I know how I started with jumpers and very bad Flat horses. With Millkom it was the first sign of a Classic career in 1994 and after we won with Le Havre and Stacelita and now we have a very strong stable.
Jean-Claude Rouget will stick to a tried and tested plan as Ace Impact faces his date with destiny in Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
The three-year-old enjoyed a swift rise through the ranks this term, graduating from a Cagnes-Sur-Mer conditions win in January to Prix du Jockey Club glory just three runs later, with his electric turn of foot thrilling the Chantilly crowd.
He again showed his ability to accelerate when winning the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano on his prep race in August and Rouget is confident jockey Cristian Demuro can curb the Cracksman colt’s enthusiasm and ensure he produces his trademark finishing burst.
The trainer said: “We’re not going to do anything special. He’s quite calm in the morning, it’s true that in a race, like all good horses, he’s more exuberant, but we shall just handle it as we always do.
“Obviously there’s going to be more spectators and it’s going to be a special day, but so far everything is going as planned.
“The jockey will ride him as usual and try to relax him until the second half of the race.
“The track is going to be fast enough so everyone will be able to find a position and I’m not really worried that there isn’t going to be any pace.
“We don’t really have a reference (with the British and Irish horses) and I just hope that there’s a good pace in the race, which will allow horses that race in the back to finish.”
The Pascal Bary-trained Feed The Flame has been on a similarly rapid upward curve, although his progress was arrested when he could finish only fourth behind Ace Impact at Chantilly.
He has since gone on to win the Grand Prix de Paris and finished second to the reopposing Fantastic Moon in the Prix Niel over the Arc course and distance, his only defeat in four starts at ParisLongchamp.
Feed The Flame is another who employs come-from-behind tactics and Bary thinks his charge is particularly suited to the track.
He said: “He ran very well in the Prix du Jockey Club, he finished close to the Poule d’Essai des Poulains winner (Marhaba Ya Sanafi), there were only a few lengths between him and Ace Impact, so it was a good performance.
“He really likes Longchamp because it’s a track that allows him the time to produce his potential. He’s a horse that likes to take his time and at Longchamp he can do that because there’s the long straight.
“He’s a horse that can be a bit cold at the beginning of a race, but he develops throughout the race as he goes further and he showed in the Grand Prix de Paris that he accelerated really well in the final straight.”
Dual Arc-winning rider Christophe Soumillon will be in the saddle again, and Bary added: “He knows the horse, he knows Longchamp, he knows how to ride that race. Once I put him on the horse, I can go into the stands and watch the race with confidence.”
Through Seven Seas is this year’s Japanese contender for Tomohito Ozeki.
The five-year-old mare does not boast as high a profile as some previous Japanese challengers, but she brings some excellent form to the table having been beaten just a neck by the world’s top-rated horse Equinox on her most recent run in June.
Through Seven Seas arrived in France in mid-September and has pleased Ozeki and big-race rider Christophe Lemaire in her work.
Ozeki said: “The trip went really well, it was a long trip to come over here but thanks to all the staff and people around her it all went really well.
“Everything has gone well in her training. She has acclimatised really well to a new environment. She did a little canter last Sunday, just to see what was happening, on the Aigles track, it was just a small canter.
“On Wednesday morning she did a small gallop, her last before the race and she had a really nice action at the end as she usually shows, so everything is going really well.”
Another French-trained hope is Simca Mille, who was named by trainer and part-owner Stephane Wattel in honour of the car produced in France in the 1960s and 70s.
The trainer explained: “The Simca Mille is undoubtedly the ugliest car to emerge from the French production line, and the main point of its engine was to make a noise. However, I promise that if we finish in the first three on Sunday, it will become my favourite car!”
Simca Mille scored his first Group One win in the Grosser Preis von Berlin on his most recent run and Wattel is sweet on his chance at a track where he has won two of his four outings.
He said: “On Sunday, he will be racing on his favourite ground and ideal course. He’s a very intelligent horse and a straightforward ride. It is only during the pre-race parade when he can get stirred up.
“We will be clashing with horses which are theoretically superior to him, but it is a great opportunity to take them on in optimal conditions.”
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Hukum will have to overcome an unfavourable draw in stall 14 if he is to triumph in Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp.
The Owen Burrows-trained six-year-old won the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot when last seen in July, having beaten Derby hero Desert Crown in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown, when both horses were returning from long absences.
However, Hukum did not enjoy much luck in Thursday’s draw ceremony, with only Simca Mille on his outside in a 15-strong field.
Two winners have emerged from stall 14 since 2000, with Frankie Dettori producing a memorable ride aboard Golden Horn in 2015 and Dalakhani winning under Christophe Soumillon in 2003.
Hukum’s big-race pilot Jim Crowley will now be studying the tapes of the heroics of his weighing-room colleagues ahead of his ride aboard the Shadwell-owned contender in the French capital.
“I’m sure Jim will be doing all that, but there’s absolutely nothing we can do,” said Angus Gold, racing manager for the owners.
“Golden Horn had a lot of tactical speed, he went forward and stayed out wide and got a brilliant ride.
“There is no point making a fuss about it as there is nothing we can do.
“We’ll just have to work around it, see how he breaks and go forward and hope to slot in somewhere.”
Ace Impact winning the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (ScoopDyga/France Galop)
Ante-post favourite Ace Impact, winner of the Prix du Jockey Club for Jean-Claude Rouget, enjoyed much better fortune in stall eight, with St Leger winner Continuous, who was supplemented at a cost of €120,000 on Wednesday, next to him in stall seven for Aidan O’Brien.
The Ralph Beckett-trained Westover, beaten just a head by Hukum at Ascot, will be on the inside in stall one, with Free Wind – Dettori’s final Arc mount – in three for John and Thady Gosden.
Bay Bridge, representing Sir Michael Stoute, completes the British and Irish challenge in stall six under Richard Kingscote.
German Derby and Prix Niel victor Fantastic Moon was also supplemented and he will be in stall 12, with fellow German raiders Mr Hollywood and Sisfahan in 10 and 13 respectively.
St Leger winner Continuous represents Aidan O’Brien (Tim Goode/PA)
Prix Niel second Feed The Flame and Japanese runner Through Seven Seas are also drawn low in two and five, with Haya Zark (four), Onesto (nine) and Place Du Carrousel (11) rounding out the field.
Coral trimmed Ace Impact to 100-30 from 7-2 following the draw, while Hukum was edged out to 5s from 9-2.
The firm’s David Stevens said: “Ace Impact’s connections can have few complaints about drawing stall eight, and it’s a draw that will probably ensure the unbeaten colt is sent off favourite on Sunday, especially as his biggest market rival, Hukum, appears to have been done few favours with a wide draw in 14.”
The ground at ParisLongchamp is expected to be good to soft, with a reported 25 per cent chance of light rain on either Thursday or Friday and no watering planned.
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Jean-Claude Rouget is in confident mood ahead of Ace Impact’s bid for glory in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday.
It has been quite the rise through the ranks for the son of Cracksman, who did not see the racecourse as a two-year-old and made his debut in the low-key surroundings of Cagnes-Sur-Mer in late January.
Another understated success at Bordeaux followed and he has since proved his class by landing a Listed race and the French Derby at Chantilly, before adding the Group Two Prix Guillaume d’Ornano to his tally at Deauville in the summer.
Ace Impact is the clear favourite to provide his trainer with a second Arc win following the success of Sottsass three years ago and while taking nothing for granted, Rouget feels there are no negatives.
Looking good! Here's ACE IMPACT (far side) putting in a big piece of work ahead of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/43Syly96Lc
“Why shouldn’t I be optimistic? I’m coming in with a horse that’s unbeaten,” he said on Tuesday.
“We know in any race anything can happen and we’re coming to the end of the season, but he gets three kilos from the older horses, which is important.
“I’m optimistic in the sense that he goes into the race unbeaten and has done everything we have asked him to so far.”
Following his mid-August triumph at Deauville, Rouget considered running his star colt in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown the following month, while he also had the option of getting a first taste of ParisLongchamp in the Prix Niel.
However, mindful of the fact Ace Impact had been on the go since the beginning of the year, he elected to keep his powder dry for the day that matters most.
Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget (John Walton/PA)
Rouget added: “It’s very important that he stays a fresh horse because he started his season very early, which is not the usual start for a Classic horse.
“I didn’t want to run him last year in November, I wanted to wait and he then ran in January, so after he ran in Deauville I preferred to not run him again so that he has some freshness going into the Arc.
“It’s been six weeks (since Deauville) and the six weeks have passed very quickly.”
Ace Impact will be racing over a mile and a half for the first time this weekend, but Rouget does not expect him to be beaten for a lack of stamina, while the fact he has never run on the track is also not a concern for the trainer.
“Obviously we can’t be certain, but with the way he finishes his races and also the fact his sire was a winner over the distance gives us hope that he can stay,” he continued.
“If the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) had been over a mile and a half, as it was in the past, he would have won that.
“Last year Vadeni was in the same place for us and he ran really well (finished second to Alpinista).
“It is very rare I run a horse in the Grand Prix de Paris and after that there was just the Prix Niel, which didn’t hold any interest for me.
“I’m not worried about the course, he’s an easy horse once he’s settled in his race and there are plenty of horses that have won the Arc that also hadn’t run at Longchamp before.
“There was just no opportunity to do so, but it’s not something that bothers me.”
With the weather set fair in Paris for the rest of the week, underfoot conditions look likely to be quicker than is often the case for Europe’s premier middle-distance contest.
Rouget is therefore expecting there to be no excuses on the ground front, adding: “I think it is going to be good for everyone, which is an interesting point about this year’s race.
“In the past the race was often criticised for its heavy ground and the fact horses are tired, but this year I think the ground is going to suit everyone.”
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Ace Impact and Hukum are among 15 horses to stand their ground for the the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp on Sunday following the first forfeit stage.
French Derby hero Ace Impact is the clear favourite to provide trainer Jean-Claude Rouget with his second victory in Europe’s premier middle-distance contest, following the success of Sottsass three years ago, but looks set to face a strong challenge from across the Channel.
The Owen Burrows-trained Hukum and Ralph Beckett’s Westover look the pick of the British contingent, with both having been kept fresh since their titanic tussle in the King George at Ascot in July.
Sir Michael Stoute’s Bay Bridge and John and Thady Gosden’s Free Wind, the potential final Arc ride for Frankie Dettori, also remain in contention.
Aidan O’Brien has left in Emily Dickinson, but on Sunday indicated she is likely to head for the Prix du Cadran instead, paving the way for his St Leger hero Continuous to be supplemented on Wednesday.
Irish hopes could also be carried by Sprewell from Jessica Harrington’s yard.
Ace Impact winning the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club (ScoopDyga/France Galop)
Other contenders for the home team include Pascal Bary’s Grand Prix de Paris hero Feed The Flame, last seen finishing second in the Prix Niel, and Simca Mille from Stephane Wattel’s yard.
The latter has won twice and finished second twice from four visits to the track and was last seen breaking his Group One duck in the Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in August.
Wattel said: “I have to say everything is fine, he’s in good shape and he has done some nice work. We are expecting good ground, which is important for him, and really I am happy with his condition.
“I don’t think we will have heavy ground and that would have been a reason not to run.
“I am really happy to have a runner in the Arc, not a first (top) chance but a fair chance to run well, which is exciting for us as a stable.
“He loves Longchamp and has always run very well there, which gives us a little more expectation than if we were running in England.
“I know the quality of the English horses and I know the quality of the two three-year-old French horses (Ace Impact and Feed The Flame), but our horse is running on his best racetrack and hopefully his best ground, so that gives us a little more chance.”
The German pair of Sisfahan and Mr Hollywood (Henk Grewe), Japan’s Through Seven Seas (Tomohito Ozeki), Haya Zark (Adrien Fouassier), Onesto (Fabrice Chappet) and Place Du Carrousel (Andre Fabre) are the others in the mix.
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/273171334.jpg8551710Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2023-09-25 10:44:242023-09-25 10:44:24Ace Impact and Hukum headline 15 Arc contenders
Prix du Jockey Club hero Ace Impact is set to head straight to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe following his recent victory at Deauville.
The Jean-Claude Rouget-trained son of Cracksman emphatically scooped Classic honours at Chantilly and took his record to a perfect five out of five when returning from a short break to down Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa on the Normandy coast.
That cosy victory gave Rouget back-to-back triumphs in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano and he looks to have found the perfect candidate to bid for his second victory in Europe’s richest middle-distance contest, a race for which Ace Impact is the general 7-2 favourite.
— Sky Sports Racing (@SkySportsRacing) June 4, 2023
Rouget sent Sottsass to the Prix Niel before finishing third in the Arc in 2019, while the Irish Champion Stakes was used to set him up for his big-race triumph in the French capital 12 months later.
Rouget also used the Leopardstown Group One to prepare French Derby champion Vadeni for Arc duty last season, with the Aga Khan’s colt finishing third in Dublin before taking the runner-up spot behind Alpinista in the Bois de Boulogne.
However, October 1 has long been circled on the calendar of connections and they are happy that Ace Impact will be seen next in ParisLongchamp in perfect order as they continue to dream of Arc glory.
“We are very pleased with him since his run in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano,” said Pauline Chehboub, racing manager for her family’s Gousserie Racing operation, who purchased 50 per cent of the colt from Serge Stempniak after the Prix du Jockey Club.
“He is a very unique horse and every time he comes to the races it feels like he loves it. We are very fortunate to be a part of this champion.
“His target since the French Derby, like Jean-Claude Rouget announced, is the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, so we follow the plan.
“He is the Arc favourite, unbeaten and his limits are unknown. The dream continues.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/231295248-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2023-08-28 16:32:372023-08-28 16:32:37All eyes now on ParisLongchamp with Arc favourite Ace Impact
French racing’s new star Ace Impact maintained his unbeaten record in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville.
Jean-Claude Rouget’s three-year-old grabbed the headlines when displaying an electrifying turn of foot in the Prix de Jockey Club in June, coming from a long way back to beat Big Rock.
Off the track for 72 days, Ace Impact was very keen in the early stages under Cristian Demuro before dropping in at the rear of the field, with only had one behind him for much of the race as stablemate Cambronne set the pace.
Aidan O’Brien had two runners in Breeders’ Cup winner Victoria Road and Greenland, while his son Joseph fielded Al Riffa, a Group One winner as a juvenile last season.
They mounted a stern challenge and had their chances, but Ace Impact made up plenty of ground in the straight and grabbed the lead in sight of the post.
However, he had to battle with Al Riffa, who finished three-quarters of a length adrift in second, with Birr Castle a further head back in third and Greenland coming home fourth.
Paddy Power left the winner unchanged as their 7-2 favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, however, Coral eased him slightly to 9-2 from 4-1.
“We will have to discuss his future with the partners (Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak) – either he will have another race before the Arc or go straight to the big one,” Rouget told www.thoroughbreddailynews.com.
“We will have less pressure on than we did today, as these races are very difficult to call beforehand. There is a lot at stake with a horse that is an undefeated, brilliant winner of the Prix du Jockey Club and who has been partly sold since.
“You don’t want to lose, you don’t know if the horse still wants to fight, if the race will be tactical, if he is ready enough knowing very well that he is not 100 per cent because that’s how I do things.
“You could see early in the race that he was keen, because he is fresh, but once the race went into a good rhythm, he relaxed.
“He showed the same acceleration and just idled a bit at the end, as he needed the race. It is a big relief for all the reasons I mentioned.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/d4d4dce1-736e-43f1-8c4c-3a0a5e3710bf.jpeg12762552Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2023-08-15 14:30:122023-08-15 15:10:06Arc favourite Ace makes Deauville Impact
Al Riffa faces a big ask as he heads to Deauville to take on the unbeaten Prix du Jockey Club champion Ace Impact in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano on Tuesday.
Raiders have won five of the last six renewals of the 10-furlong Group Two contest, however, the last two victories for the home side have been provided by trainer Jean Claude-Rouget and his latest contender will be a warm order to follow in the footsteps of stablemate Al Hakeem, who won this prize en route to finishing fourth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe 12 months ago.
Ace Impact finds himself favourite for Europe’s richest middle-distance prize on October 1 following his emphatic French Derby triumph earlier this summer and this contest represents a key step on the road to ParisLongchamp for the son of Cracksman.
He will run for the first time in the colours of the Chehboub family’s Gousserie Racing, who purchased 50 per cent of the colt from Serge Stempniak following his Chantilly triumph.
Pauline Chehboub, racing manager for the operation said: “Ace Impact is in good form and should run well tomorrow.
“We are targeting some exciting Group Ones in the autumn, so tomorrow’s race is important.”
However, despite the presence of Ace Impact, Al Riffa’s trainer Joseph O’Brien is undeterred and feels his charge is well placed to run a big race following his comeback second at the Curragh in the International Stakes.
“We’re hoping for a good run,” said O’Brien.
“Obviously it looks a very good race, but he is in good shape and we think he can run a really good race.”
Al Riffa is a Group One winner in his own right having claimed the National Stakes as a two-year-old and is one of three making the trip from Ireland alongside Aidan O’Brien’s Victoria Road and Greenland.
Both Ballydoyle challengers are capable of playing a part, with the former accounting for Blue Rose Cen before scoring at the Breeders’ Cup during a four-race winning streak last season – a record the Saxon Warrior colt will be attempting to extend on his belated seasonal return.
Meanwhile, stablemate Greenland already has winning form in France this term having landed the Prix Greffulhe at Saint-Cloud in May.
Andre Fabre has won this race more times than anyone else and relies on Compiegne Listed winner Birr Castle, while Ponty (Hiroo Shimizu), Cambronne (Rouget) and Andreas Wohler’s German raider Straight complete the line-up.
There will be no repeat Coral-Eclipse bid from Jean-Claude Rouget this year as his latest impressive Prix du Jockey Club champion Ace Impact is currently enjoying a quiet time ahead of a return in the autumn.
Last year, the crack French handler saddled Vadeni to strike at Sandown on the back of a taking success in the French Derby.
However, with the unbeaten Ace Impact having run three times in the early part of the season, connection have resisted the temptation of another raiding mission for their Chantilly hero and will instead focus on targets towards the back-end of the season.
🏆🇫🇷 Wow! ACE IMPACT storms home to land the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, reeling in the front-running Big Rock at Chantilly!
🥇 It's a sixth victory in the French Derby for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget, and a third for Cristian Demuro.pic.twitter.com/9oBtcdrIqI
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) June 4, 2023
“He’s quiet at the moment and waiting for the autumn now, you will see him in August or September,” said Rouget.
It appears likely that autumn campaign will be centred around peaking for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on October 1 and when asked if Europe’s richest middle-distance prize will be on the agenda for Ace Impact, Rouget added: “Of course, yes.”
Likely to join Ace Impact at ParisLongchamp for the 12-furlong Group One is Vadeni, who could attempt to go one better than last year’s half-length second to Alpinista providing he comes through his intended next outing at Deauville with flying colours.
Vadeni (right) winning the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown last summer (Nigel French/PA)
The son of Churchill is also having an easy time following his below-par showing in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, but is pencilled in to return on August 13 in a race Rouget has won for the past two seasons with Wally.
Rouget said: “Up to now we will run at Deauville in August in the Gontaut-Biron, Group Three. If he is then OK, he will then perhaps run in the Arc.”
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/231295248-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2023-07-03 11:08:112023-07-03 11:08:11French star Ace Impact being saved for autumn campaign
Jean-Claude Rouget’s Ace Impact extended his unbeaten record with a brilliant performance to land the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly.
Having completed a hat-trick on his previous run over 10 furlongs at this track last month, he gained a fourth success in scintillating fashion, coming from well off the pace in the hands of Cristian Demuro to collar long-time leader and favourite Big Rock inside the final furlong.
The additional half-furlong certainly helped the son of Cracksman, as Ace Impact looked better the further he went.
British raider Epictetus, trained by John and Thady Gosden, held every chance turning in, but Frankie Dettori’s mount faded to finish fifth, while Aidan O’Brien’s Continuous was in third throughout, before failing to see out the final furlong, eventually finishing eighth of the 11 runners.
Rouget, winning the race for a sixth time, was impressed with the way the Ace Impact quickened up to win going away by three and a half lengths.
“I was impressed with his acceleration, because he really comes from a long way off,” said the trainer. “To think that Big Rock was in front and has got the race in the bag, and then 300 metres from the winning post he comes and gets him.
“We always saw in the mornings that he was a really good-moving colt and it is really impressive how he comes and gets Big Rock.”
Ace Impact was unraced as a two-year-old but has steadily progressed since making a winning debut over 10 furlongs at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January.
Rouget added: “I actually had plans to take him to Deauville last summer to have his first race there.
“But when he arrived at Deauville from Pau, he didn’t have a very nice coat and didn’t seem to acclimatise himself very well.
“So, I decided to leave him alone and also didn’t think about the autumn. Then I saw his brother had won at Cagnes, so I thought why not try that? And he demonstrated that he had a really good stride and could quicken very quickly.
“This race (today) makes me think of the Epsom Derby in that the horse in front (King Of Steel) I thought was going to win, until Auguste Rodin came from the back, so it was very similar.”
The winning time of 2:02.63 was a track record, beating that recoded by Sottsass who won the same race for Rouget in 2019. He went on to finish third in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe that same season, before triumphing in the European middle-distance championship the following year.
Jean-Claude Rouget and Cristian Demuro with Ace Impact (SccopDyga/France Galop)
Asked if he is a horse who could head to ParisLongchamp in the autumn, Rouget confirmed: “I think he has got the profile. He is that type, he has that stride. I think he will prefer better ground.
“He will have to try to emulate Sottsass, who was effective in both good ground and soft ground. There are other races before the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe obviously, but we will aim him at the Arc.”
Paddy Power and Betfair cut Ace Impact to 10-1 from 50-1 for the Arc, while Coral make him their 5-1 favourite for the Eclipse.
https://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2.31295248-scaled.jpg12802560Geegeez Newshttps://www.geegeez.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/geegeez_banner_new_170x78.pngGeegeez News2023-06-04 14:29:262023-06-04 16:15:06Ace Impact hits the target in spectacular fashion at Chantilly
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