Sunday's Arc De Triomphe at Longchamp

Although good ground would be ideal, he has won on good to firm going and, at the other end of the spectrum, on heavy ground, so whatever the prevailing underfoot conditions turn out to be on Sunday, Hurricane Run will show us what he's made of.

Shawanda absolutely laughed at her rivals when winning the Prix Vermeille and, although no filly has prevailed in this since Urban Sea in 1996, she appears better equipped than many other members of the fairer sex that have tried in the interim.

Her jockey Christophe Soumillon, worryingly for her rivals, has predicted that there is more to come from the daughter of Sinndar, a winner of this race himself in 2000. However, she has achieved little in terms of form substance compared to Hurricane Run. And while she was most impressive in the Vermeille, and the Irish Oaks for that matter, taking on colts in an Arc is a different proposition altogether. 

Derby winner Motivator has suffered defeats at the hands of Oratorio the last twice. There were excuses at Sandown when the latter mowed him down in the Eclipse, but that rival beat him fair and square in the Irish Champion Stakes earlier this month and, while the return to the Derby trip will aid Michael Bell’s charge, he looks vulnerable to a horse with a finishing kick.

Last year’s winner Bago shouldn’t be dismissed, despite what has been a relatively disappointing campaign so far this season. So often, horses like Bago are written off, but he will have conditions in his favour on Sunday and should give a good account. That said, it’d be a surprise if a member of the classic generation wasn’t good enough to dethrone him this time.

Scorpion is a horse I like a lot and he is hard to omit from calculations, although I’d be a shade concerned that his St Leger exertions will have taken their toll. Aidan O’Brien’s charge will surely be sporting some scars having covered over 14 furlongs on soft going at Doncaster less than a month ago, and Kieren Fallon, significantly, has seemingly never so much as entertained the prospect of hopping of Hurricane Run to ride this fellow.

I would be fantastic if Alkaased could run well for the Luca Cumani stable and both he and his Prix Foy conqueror, the mare Pride, have reasonable claims of reaching the frame.

Recommended Bet: 2.5pts Hurricane Run @ 11/4 (VCBET)