Arc de Triomphe ante-post betting

Deep Impact, the current superstar of Japanese horseracing, once again displayed his prodigious talent when producing a lethal turn of foot to cosily land the Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at Kyoto on June 25. Admittedly, the fact that the son of Sunday Silence was sent off at odds of 1/10 is indicative of the lack of top-class opposition in the thirteen-strong field. However, the four-year-old can only beat what is put in front of him, and he did just that in some style. Held up at the tail of the field, Deep Impact instantly made headway down the outside when Yuaka Take asked his mount to edge forward, and when Japan's champion jockey said go 150 yards out, Deep Impact's response was both instantaneous and hugely decisive, quickening clear to score by four lengths from Narita Century. A winner of ten of his eleven races thus far, including the 2005 Japanese Triple Crown, Deep Impact suffered his only reverse at the hands of Heart's Cry when failing by half a length to overhaul that rival in the valuable Arima Kinen at Nakayama last December. Deep Impact is a top-priced 7/1 with Ladbrokes for the Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October, behind Hurricane Run and Shirocco, both whom are vying for favouritism at around the 7/2 mark, while Heart's Cry is generally a 12/1 chance. Both Deep Impact and Heart's Cry are now being trained for a European autumn campaign. The latter, who is being primed or a tilt at the King George VI QUeen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes on July 29, is the 4/1 with Ladbrokes Ladbroked for that Ascot showpiece, for which 2005 Arc hero Hurricane Run is a top-priced 5/4 market leader, despite his narrow reverse at Saint-Cloud recently.