O'Brien Withdraws Love from Arc Over Soft Going

Love will not run in the Oct. 4 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) at ParisLongchamp after the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly did not feature among 15 declarations for the race.

Love had been the longtime ante-post favorite entering Arc week but was usurped as market leader by Enable on Monday following 19 millimeters of rain at Longchamp last weekend and with an unsettled forecast between then and Sunday's race.

Enable, meanwhile, was drawn in post 5 on Thursday morning in her quest for a third Arc win. She was in post 6 when winning at ParisLongchamp in 2018 and post 9 when second the following season. Her first victory in the race, when staged at Chantilly, came from post 2.

O'Brien—who still has four representatives in the Arc with Japan, Sovereign, Mogul, and Serpentine declared—is likely to aim Love at the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), before potential trips to Japan and Hong Kong.

"We had to take Love out just now," he said. "We didn't have any choice really because it would have meant a big fine if we withdrew her on the day and Ryan (Moore) wouldn't have been able to ride anything else.

"It's 4.1 on the going stick there at the moment and they're forecast more rain for tomorrow and Saturday, so we didn't have any choice with her really.

"Her whole year had been geared to it so it was a difficult decision but we felt we didn't have much choice in the end as we felt it might finish her for the rest of her season.

"I'd imagine Love will now go for the Breeders' Cup Turf, which I think is a $6 million race this year. Japan and Hong Kong could be considered after that. We'll discuss it with the lads but I'd imagine the Breeders' Cup will be the priority now—it's one of the biggest grass races in the world."

Ryan Moore will now partner Mogul, winner of the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1) last time. Mogul was drawn post 3 on Thursday morning, the same starting spot for last year's winner Waldgeist.

Christophe Soumillon and Serpentine will have to overcome the widest draw from post 15. The shock Derby winner was supplemented for the race for €72,000 on Wednesday.

Elsewhere for O'Brien, Sovereign (post 10) will be ridden by Mickael Barzalona while Yutaka Take is booked to ride Japan (post 11).

Love was the only absentee from the 16 left in at the confirmation stage yesterday and Enable is confirmed for her fourth crack at the Arc, looking to become the first in history to win the race three times.

The John Gosden-trained mare had her final pre-race workout on Wednesday morning in the quest to go one better than last year's second to Waldgeist. As expected, she will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Enable's stablemate Stradivarius was also confirmed for the Arc, the only other British-trained runner in the race, but will need to overcome a tough draw from post 14. Gosden, however, had success from that same post with Golden Horn who was victorious in the Arc in 2015.

Leading Irish jockey Shane Foley will ride outsider Royal Julius for Jerome Reynier, who was drawn in post 8.

German Derby (G1) winner In Swoop—who has been subject to lots of market support in the build up to the race—has drawn post 1 while leading French contenders Persian King (post 7), Sottsass (post 4), and Raabihah (post 2) were also declared.

Japanese raider Deirdre will come from post 12, with Jamie Spencer looking for his first Arc winner.