German Raider Torquator Tasso Springs Arc Shock

The eagerly anticipated 100th running of the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1) Oct. 3 assembled a veritable who's who of European flat racing. It finished with stunned observers left simply asking: "Who?"

For German racing the remarkable victory of Torquator Tasso  provided an unexpected but wonderful cause for celebration. For almost everyone else it initially delivered anti-climax and bewilderment as a 72-1 outsider swept past leading fancies Tarnawa , Hurricane Lane , and Adayar  to achieve something few could possibly have foreseen.

Only two months ago a horse who carries the colors of the German flag had been soundly defeated on home soil by the Sir Mark Prescott-trained Alpinista . That did not suggest his ticket to the Arc would yield much of a return, yet following success in the Wettstar Grosser Preis von Baden (G1) he surged forward once again to capture what had looked like a vintage staging of the sport's supreme middle-distance championship.

It the horse's name had hitherto meant little to many racing fans, neither were trainer Marcel Weiss and jockey Rene Piechulek exactly household names outside their own country. Now, however, they occupy a proud place on an illustrious roll of honor after combining to give their nation a third Arc triumph following the wins of Star Appeal and Danedream in 1975 and 2011.

Rain had pounded the streets of Paris through Saturday night and Sunday morning, creating a sound that must have been music to the ears of a second-season trainer and a jockey whose career has been helped by opportunities afforded him by the COVID-19-induced absence of visiting international riders in Germany. Their horse adored the gruelling ParisLongchamp ground and in what became a test of bravery as well as brilliance, it was he who was the extremely deserving winner.

Given the intensity of the build-up to this Arc and the unrelenting focus on so many of its leading contenders, the postscript felt strangely surreal, not least in a post-race press conference during which journalist Liz Price conversed with the winning trainer and jockey in German before perfectly translating their answers into French and then English.

"It's all very difficult for me to understand—I can't really digest that I have won this race," said the 44-year-old Weiss, an assistant trainer for 20 years before taking over the Mulheim yard of Jens Hirschberger at the end of 2019.

"We started to plan for the Arc last winter. I thought this was the strongest Arc of the last few years but I still thought he deserved to go to the start. We would have been very happy if he had finished third, fourth, fifth, or sixth. We would have considered that a success. The fact he has won is a bonus.

"You cannot go higher than the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Every trainer dreams of it. That I have won it is absolutely unreal."

Not that Weiss was jumping and up down with joy. Dressed in a sober black suit, he could have been mistaken for an understated tax inspector. Nevertheless, although much more Ryan Moore than Frankie Dettori, he said his demeanor changed when Torquator Tasso crossed Longchamp's winning line three-quarters of a length in front of Tarnawa, who along with her eventual conqueror and Hurricane Lane had only got past long-time leader Adayar just over half a furlong from home.

"During the race I was very quiet," admitted Weiss, before adding with a smile: "When we won I screamed but nobody saw me."

Piechulek was positively beaming. "There was not a lot of pace in the race so I immediately tried to get a position with the leading horses," said the 34-year-old. "I wanted to be in a spot where when we got into the straight I could really launch my horse. The longer the straight the better he gets so I was keen to make full use of him.

"I was honored just to be able to ride in the Arc. I want to thank the owners, breeders, and trainer for letting me ride Torquator Tasso, even though I hadn't taken part in the race before. I can't believe I've won. Wait until tomorrow, then I might believe it."

Tarnawa's trainer Dermot Weld was already convinced.

"This is not a surprise," he insisted. "I have the highest regard for German racing. Every so often they've come up with a good horse."

Their latest exceptionally good horse is part-owned by 88-year-old Helga Endres, who along with husband, Peter-Michael Endres, is one of the forces behind Gestut Auenquelle, in whose silks last year's IDEE Deutsches Derby (G1) second competes.

Sadly, she was not able to make it on to the winner's podium but instead stood close to it with the Arc's silver trophy perched on her walking frame. Throughout the playing of the German national anthem she sported a face that transmitted joy, as she had when congratulated moments earlier by the Princess Royal.

"It's fantastic—and, yes, I do believe it," she said. "I was so sure, so very sure. He was number one, so he came first in the parade and he also came first in the race. He was always number one to me. This horse is in my heart.

"I'm so happy, I can't believe it. I have a broken leg, so I can't do much at the moment. I have done sport all my life. I am a skier and I have never broken anything but I fell over in the garden. The leg was already feeling better. Now, thanks to this horse, it feels very much better."

In winning the Arc, Torquator Tasso picked up a "Win and You're In" berth for the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.

From €24,000 Yearling to Arc Hero

This year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe represented something of a global gathering of the finest bloodlines around.

Frankel , who is well on course to claim his first champion sire crown, was responsible for leading fancies Adayar and Hurricane Lane, Sea The Stars  fielded his own brace in Mojo Star  and Raabihah , while the Aga Khan sent his top-class Shamardal  filly Tarnawa to contest the €5 million prize.

Although the domestic challenge was not as strong as anticipated, with just Galiway 's son Sealiway  representing the French stallion ranks, there was a notable international presence courtesy of Japan, who sent runners by Bago , sire of Chrono Genesis , and Kizuna , sire of Deep Bond , while Coolmore's homebred Cazoo Oaks (G1) heroine Snowfall  is, of course, by the late, great Deep Impact.

Galileo has already supplied two Arc winners in Found  and Waldgeist , but Love 's withdrawal meant that his influence would be confined to the role of broodmare sire for the second year running, albeit that ended rather successfully when Sottsass  claimed the 2020 renewal of France's flagship race.

However, the breeding behemoths were stunned into silence on Sunday when the German-bred Torquator Tasso showed an abundance of class, courage, and stamina to wear down Tarnawa and Hurricane Lane inside the final 50 yards.

There had been whispers about a son of Adlerflug  relishing the conditions at Longchamp, but it speaks to the seismic shock that Torquator Tasso pulled off that he was not even considered the most likely winner out of his sire's two runners, with Alenquer , who ultimately finished ninth, much shorter in the betting.

The giant-killing nature of the result is only enhanced by a dive into Torquator Tasso's sales history, as he cost his owner Gestut Auenquelle a mere €24,000 (US$27,488) at BBAG in October 2018.

The 4-year-old was bred by Paul Vandeberg and is the second foal out of Tijuana, a daughter of the unheralded Cadeaux Genereux stallion Toylsome. Tijuana is a sibling to three black-type performers, most notably the German group 2 scorer Tusked Wings , who is closely related to Torquator Tasso, being a daughter of Adlerflug.

In turn, Tusked Wings and Tijuana are out of a winning half sister to Tertullian, a five-time group 3 winner over 6 1/2 and seven furlongs who went on to become champion sire in Germany in 2014.

Those who delved back into Torquator Tasso's pedigree would have found an important piece of Arc-winning form, as his third dam is a half sister to none other than Urban Sea, winner of the race in 1993 and dam of Galileo and Sea The Stars.

Torquator Tasso was already among Adlerflug's five group 1 winners prior to his career-best effort on Sunday, having won last year's Longines Grosser Preis von Berlin (G1) and the Grosser Preis von Baden in September.

Given Torquator Tasso's owners already stand Soldier Hollow , German champion sire in 2016, 2018, and 2019, it seems entirely likely that the Arc winner will get the opportunity to do his bit to help maintain Adlerflug's influence.

The son of In The Wings, who died unexpectedly at the age of 17 after covering a mare at his home Gestut Schlenderhan in early April, is represented by other stallion sons including Gestut Ammerland's Iquitos  and Gestut Erftmuhle resident Ito .

In Swoop , who came within a neck of supplying Adlerflug with an Arc winner in last year's race, has also found a place at stud, but will be covering jumps mares under the Coolmore National Hunt banner in 2022.