It`s the smallest Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe field in 54 years and there isn`t a single British-trained horse in the race but the potentially epic clash of Montjeu and Sinndar promises as fine an Arc as there can ever have been.
It should be a classic sporting struggle between a champion and a young pretender. Normally to categorise an Epsom and Curragh Derby winner such as Sinndar as a pretender would be a diabolical liberty. But then this isn`t a normal Arc and Montjeu isn`t a normal opponent.
Classed by Michael Kinane as the best he has ridden, Montjeu is unbeaten this season and is attempting to become the first since Vincent O`Brien`s Alleged to win successive Arcs. And just to complete the little coincidence circle, his most dangerous opponent comes from Ireland.
Just once has Sinndar ventured from John Oxx`s Curragh yard and been beaten and that was on heavy ground. Oxx`s worry about the Longchamp surface turning gluey hasn`t been realised and now the colt, complete with his pacemaker Raypour, is on the verge of completing a remarkable Group One hat-trick of Epsom, the Curragh and the Arc de Triomphe.
It`s very much the clash of the year, although typically Oxx was yesterday refusing to get carried away with such speculation.
'Montjeu and Sinndar do look a little clear of the others on form but races don`t usually work out like that. The German horse, Samum, could be the dark horse of the race. He`s supposedly the best German horse for years and if that is true he will be a danger to all.
'And there are plenty of examples of fillies taking off at this time of the year, so Volveretta and Egyptband, both of whom have had summer breaks, are right in it too,' Oxx said. But he would not be human if he didn`t tell jockey John Murtagh to keep a special eye out for Montjeu.
The John Hammond-trained horse was a superb 1999 Arc winner after a less than clear run. That allowed him to be rated at 135, and although this year Montjeu hasn`t been required to reach anywhere near that mark, that is more a tribute to his style of a devestating late finish than a reduction in talent.
'It`s difficult to say if he is better this season because he hasn`t been stretched, but I believe he is certainly as good as he was last year,' said Hammond yesterday, while pointing to Kinane`s Longchamp experience as 'definitely helpful'.
On official ratings, Sinndar has 7lb to find on Montjeu but the remarkable factor in this colt`s armoury is that he is still improving. His warm-up victory in the Prix Niel had the professionals purring and he now looks a much better horse than he did even at Epsom. Oxx, though, concedes that he will need to be.
'The Niel was encouraging and it was a very useful exercise for the horse and his pacemaker, whose jockey (Niall McCullagh) had never ridden around Longchamp. But Sinndar will need to improve on anything he has done before if he is to beat Montjeu and win,' Oxx added.
If anything, the small field of 10, the smallest since Caracalla won in 1946, should facilitate the much anticipated head to head. With Raypour guaranteeing a solid pace, Sinndar should be in Position A to strike for home on the turn-in. Sinndar`s fans will be hoping he can then burn off Montjeu before the home runner can use his lethal finishing kick.
However, the same challenge was put up to Montjeu last year by El Condor Pasa and he overcame it. Montjeu can prove himself a rare champion by overcoming again.
