Sottsass wins Arc, Enable falls short of history
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Italian jockey Cristian Demuro celebrates after Sottsass clinched victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe race in Paris. It is trainer Jean-Claude Rouget's first victory in the 2,400m Group 1 contest.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
PARIS • French horse Sottsass won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe yesterday as two-time winner Enable's bid to become the first horse to win the treble ended in disappointment.
Sottsass - third last year - gave trainer Jean-Claude Rouget his first victory in the 2,400m race although he endured a nervous wait after a steward's enquiry.
He later said: "Our entire aim for 2020 was this and it's not been easy with the changes to the calendar.
"We've never been able to do quite what we wanted with the horse. But these last few days I've really felt he was in top form."
Enable was prominent on entering the finishing straight but Frankie Dettori failed to rouse the 2017 and 2018 winner, who finished sixth. "It was too deep (the ground), it killed her action," said the Italian jockey.
German Derby winner In Swoop finished like a train to take second while long-time leader Persian King was third.
The winner's jockey Cristian Demuro and several of his fellow jockeys were called into the stewards room to watch the finish and give their version of events. The last time an Arc winner was disqualified was Sagace in 1985 handing victory to Enable's owner Prince Khalid Abdullah's Rainbow Quest.
There was to be no repeat this time and confirmation resulted in social distancing being disregarded as the trainer and others hugged in the paddock. They were joined in their celebrations by the 1,000 spectators permitted to attend under coronavirus protocols.
The race took place after the dramatic decision by Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien to withdraw his four runners due to their returning positive drug tests believed to be due to contaminated feed.
Meanwhile in the United States, Swiss Skydiver outpaced Kentucky Derby winner and race favourite Authentic in a dramatic photo-finish to win the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on Saturday, bringing an end to a Triple Crown bid.
With the win, Swiss Skydiver, ridden by Robby Albarado, became only the sixth filly to win the 1,900m race at Pimlico and the first since Rachel Alexandra in 2009. Jesus' Team was third.
The race is traditionally held in May as the second leg of US thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown but was postponed this year due to the virus.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
