Is New Bay another Arc de Triomphe ace for Andre Fabre?
Published:
Andre Fabre is the most successful trainer in the history of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and New Bay looks to hold major claims of providing him with another success in this year’s renewal of the Group 1 contest at Longchamp on Sunday, October 4th.
The Chantilly-based handler has enjoy seven previous successful saddlings courtesy of Trempolino (1987), Subotica (1992), Carnegie (1994), Peintre Celebre (1997), Sagamix (1998), Hurricane Run (2005), and Rail Link (2006).
All those winners had claimed the Group 1 Prix Niel heading into the Arc, except Peintre Celebre, who finished second in that race.
The Prix Neil has proved a key trial for the Arc over the years, and New Bay could not have been more impressive when winning it last time out.
After racing strongly throughout towards the head of affairs, the three-year-old quickened readily clear inside the final furlong under a hands and heels ride to score with far more in hand than the 2 1/2 length winning margin suggests.
It was a performace which oozed class, and New Bay was given as tender ride as possible to put him spot on for the Arc.
Although New Bay’s winning time of 2m 34.09s was one second slower than Treve’s in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille on the same card, it could be argued that he had the easier race.
New Bay, who won the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly earlier in the season, also remains open to further progress after just six starts and receives a handy 5lb weight-for-age allowance from Treve who is bidding to win the race for a record third time.
The colt also appears to have had an ideal preparation for the 1m 4f contest, and another plus is that New Bay is versatile as regards ground – having won on both very soft and fast going.
Everything points to a massive run, and to me he looks good value to get the better of red-hot favourite Treve and land the spoils.
