Bluestocking was a worthy winner of Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, under a fine ride by Rossa Ryan from an excellent draw, and a well-backed winner too, with an industry SP of 11-2 in the UK having been a double-figure price overnight.
But she is unlikely to be remembered as one of the best Arc winners of recent years, because this was simply not one of those Arcs. The 16-strong field was closely matched on ratings and recent form, the world’s top-rated turf horse – City Of Troy – was on his way to next month’s Breeders’ Cup, and three more of the season’s top middle-distance horses, including the King George winner, Goliath, were denied a run by the ban on geldings.
