2014 Arc De Triomphe Betting Preview Pt 2

Gregory Benoist is still confirmed for the trip and will be a hot contender to get the job done at Longchamp - where Ectot has been able to win 3 out of his 7 lifetime races. The last two were by pretty slim margins but the last victory - on September 14 - was a bit more impressive than it looked on paper. The fact remains that it was only a Group 2 encounter and he has the solitary Group 1 victory to his credit when he captured the Criterium Internationale Saint-Cloud racecourse back in November of last year at the end of his two year old season. 

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He has been campaigned very selectively this year with just the two runs and a very lengthy break in between. The first was the Group 3 Prix De Fontainebleu when he was sent off at a 2/1 margin and then a five month break to the Group 2 Qatar Prix Niel. This is a much stiffer test of his ability than any of those age-restricted 3yo races and his ability to tangle with older colts will be put to the test here in a serious way. 

Look for Ectot at around 5/1 with bookmakers virtually all offering up the odds on Non-Runner No-Bet. 

Japanese sensation Just A Way - currently the highest-rated horse on the planet - will be lining up here as well and he commands a very solid-looking 7/1 ante post price. He has also been campaigned very selectively since capturing the Dubai Duty Free with just a single race between now and then. He was only able to win his next race - the Yasuda Kinen - by a nose over Grand Prix Boss but they all count in the grand scheme of things.

One of the most interesting things about Just A Way has been how he has been able to rapidly accelerate his abilities since mid-2013 and he is currently in the middle of a very impressive unbeaten run of four top global races. With nearly five million in sterling in total earnings you have to respect everything that this son of Heart’s Cry has been able to accomplish and the quality price on offer makes him an appealing contender. You reckon he will retire to a very lucrative stud career after this one and a victory in the Arc would make his owners from Shadai even more excited.