Paris (AFP) - Frankie Dettori's hopes of a record-extending seventh Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe suffered a blow on Thursday when defending champion Torquator Tasso was handed a tough draw.
The 51-year-old legendary Italian jockey and his German ride - an upset winner at 80-1 last year - will start in stall 18 of 20 for Sunday's five million euro feature at Longchamp.
Stay Foolish, one of a record four Japanese runners, has the least-favoured stall 20 as Japan seek to finally win the Arc at their 18th attempt, the first back in 1969.
It is not unknown for Arc winners to come from outside draws, although they are few and far between and usually exceptional talents like Golden Horn (14) ridden by Dettori in 2015.
The five-time Arc winning owner Aga Khan will perhaps have the broadest smile as his French Derby winner Vadeni will break from stall two -- six winners have broken from that gate since 1980.
There are doubts, though, about whether he will stay the one-and-a-half mile (2400m) trip.
Two of those contesting favouritism with him have also landed favourable draws in the race which has a maximum 20-runner field for the first time since 2015.
English runner Alpinista -- bidding to give veteran trainer Mark Prescott a first Arc winner -- will burst from stall six -- which has provided five winners since 1980.
Recordbreaking Irish handler Aidan O'Brien's Luxembourg, who beat Vadeni and another French runner Onesto in the Irish Champion Stakes earlier this month, has been drawn in eight.
O'Brien's other runner the battle-hardened Broome, who finished down the field last year, is in stall 14 from where four winners have emerged since 1980.
O'Brien, so dominant in other major races such as the Epsom Derby and Oaks, has found the Arc a tougher nut to crack and is seeking only his third winner in it after Dylan Thomas (2007) and Found (2016).
'Always been a dream'
Irish Derby winner Westover, trained in England by Ralph Beckett, is in seven but has a lot of ground to make up on Torquator Tasso if the respective runs in July's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a guide.
Torquator Tasso finished a respectable second whilst Westover was a desperately disappointing fifth of six.
Torquator Tasso's fellow German runner Mendocino -- who beat the 2021 Arc winner last time out -- is drawn in the inside stall one.
Mendocino will be ridden by Rene Piechulek, who was on Torquator Tasso last year but due to his contract is obliged to shift rides.
Understandable given Mendocino's trainer Sarah Steinberg is his girlfriend.
"It will be wonderful to win for Sarah," he said.
"It would be the first time that a trainer and jockey who are also a couple would stand on the Arc winners podium!"
Staying Foolish's chances may be even dimmer of landing the Arc but two of his three fellow Japanese runners have been given every chance after the draw.
The most fancied of the quartet the multiple Group One winning Titleholder is drawn 10 -- though he arrives without a prep race at Longchamp.
Japanese Derby winner Do Deuce -- a disappointing beaten favourite in the Arc trial Prix Niel earlier this month -- will break from stall three under Yutaka Take.
Take, a legend in Japan, has experienced some real lows in the race but admitted on Wednesday that at 53 it is finally winning the Arc that keeps driving him on.
"It has always been a dream and winning the Arc is a motivating factor in me continuing to ride," he said.
Deep Bond the fourth Japanese runner can at least hope from stall five to give a better account of himself than his tailed off last of 14 in the 2021 edition.
