Postponed Clear Favorite in Arc de Triomphe

Favorite Postponed will start from an ideal post 7 in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), in which he will try for his fifth win from as many starts this year in Europe's richest race and premier middle-distance contest Oct. 2 at Chantilly.

The Arc, run at 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles) carries a €5 million ($5,620,425) purse. The event will be staged at Chantilly through 2017 as the race's traditional home, Longchamp, is undergoing a redevelopment.

Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's son of Dubawi is one of 16 runners for the Arc, the field also including Tokyo Yushun (Jpn-I, Japanese Derby) victor Makahiki, Epsom Derby (Eng-I), Irish Derby (Ire-I) winner Harzand, and the Aidan O'Brien-trained trio of Ascot Gold Cup (Eng-I) winner Order of St George, U.S. grade I winner Highland Reel, and last year's Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) victress Found.

Based in Newmarket with trainer Roger Varian, Postponed's four wins this year include three at the highest level in succession: his last-out appearance in the Juddmonte International over Highland Reel Aug. 18 at York, Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Cup (Eng-I) over Found June 6 at Epsom, and Dubai Sheema Classic Presented by Longines (UAE-I) March 26 at Meydan. The 5-year-old horse is tabbed the 7-4 favorite.

"The horse is very well and I feel he's in very good condition," Varian told England's Press Association. "It should be lovely ground, whether it be good to firm, good, or on the soft side of good. It doesn't look like there's going to the volume of rain that would make the ground testing, which is what we didn't really want, so we're happy.

"We've had a very good run of it since York. I think it's fair to say he didn't have the ideal preparation for the Juddmonte International, but he's had a very good preparation for Sunday. I don't think you can ever go into a race like the Arc confident, but I'm confident he's in peak condition and hopefully he has every chance.

"I don't know if he's going to produce a career-best, but if he gets a smooth run round, I think he'll produce a very good performance."

Makahiki, the 7-1 second favorite who is drawn wide in post 14, is Japan's latest hope to win the Arc, a quest ignited in 1969, when Speed Symboli was the first Japanese-trained horse to compete.

Kaneko Makoto Holdings' 3-year-old son of Deep Impact captured his Arc prep with Christophe Lemaire Sept. 11 in the Qatar Prix Niel, defeating Midterm in his first outing since his nose victory in the Japanese Derby May 29.  Lemaire, who has the return call for the Arc, told England's Press Association that the colt as "a very clever and relaxed horse. 

"He knows his job. He really does what you ask him to do and he preserves himself. ... He's a typical mile-and-a-half horse—a big stride and then nice acceleration."

The Aga Khan's Harzand will start from post 6 with Pat Smullen and try to emulate his owner's Sinndar (2000) and sweep the Arc, Epsom Derby, Irish Derby triple. The son of Sea The Stars comes in off an unplaced effort in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I) Sept. 10 at Leopardstown, a race that marked his first start since his classic double for trainer Dermot Weld. He was found to have an injury after being struck in the Champion Stakes, but his connections are hoping for a rebound.

Jockey Frankie Dettori, who has won the Arc four times, will be aboard excellent stayer Order of St George, who has three wins and a second from four starts this year, most notably the 2 1/2-mile Gold Cup in June at Royal Ascot. Drawn widest in post 16, he is unproven at the Arc's shorter distance.

Highland Reel will break from post 11 with Seamus Heffernan and Found will depart post 12 with Ryan Moore.

Highland Reel, winner of the 2015 Secretariat (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse, led all the way in the 1 1/2-mile King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-I) in July at Ascot before finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind Postponed in the Juddmonte International Aug. 17.

Four-year-old filly Found, who, like Order of St George and Highland Reel, is by Galileo, will try to snap a skein of five runner-up finishes at the highest level, including to Almanzor in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes (Ire-I) Sept. 10 at Leopardstown.