Pat Smullen has admitted being “disappointed" by the performance of Harzand in yesterday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly, saying the English and Irish Derby winner had “no excuses”.

The Champion Jockey was speaking having reached 100 winners for the season on Making Light in the opener at Limerick and later commented “I was a little bit disappointed (with Harzand) as we were expecting a big run but he just didn’t fire at all.

“I think he’s a horse who put so much into the first half of the year and had very hard races in two Derbys and maybe he gave his all in the first half. It may have left its mark but the ground was fine and I have no excuses.

“He has been a brilliant racehorse and is a dual Derby winner so you can’t take that away from him. He’s a very very good horse but was just a better horse in the first half of the year.

By Tom Weekes