Irish Horse: Arc Ace could have big Impact for French racing

The general theme going into this year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, still one of the most iconic races in the world, was that it was an open contest and potentially below par on quality.

That said, in the unbeaten colt Ace Impact, the race had real potential to produce a genuine star. That is exactly what happened in what was a hugely significant result – not only for the horse’s connections, but also for the French racing industry.

When Jean Claude Rouget’s son of Cracksman produced his searing turn of foot down the outside, his rivals had no answer, and he became the first home trained three-year-old colt to win the race since Rail Link all the way back in 2006.

He was adding to a hugely impressive success in the Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) and vindicating his trainer’s decision to miss the Irish Champion Stakes, which is run over the same distance, and instead wait to come up to a mile and a half in the Arc.

As always, the talk after was of what will happen next, but it may well be that was the colt’s final race.

As always, the talk after was of what will happen next, but it may well be that was the colt’s final race.

Pauline Chehboub, daughter of Kamel Chehboub whose Gousserie Racing operation are joint owners of Ace Impact wasn’t drawn on what race target may lie in wait, preferring to link Ace Impact’s future as a stallion.

She said: “I am very proud to be associated with this horse and to conserve him here in France, so that we can in the future present him to French mares, and so breeders can have access to him.”

That Ace Impact will stand in France is fillip for the industry, whose stakes race have now commonly been plundered by British and Irish trainers. Sunday’s card at ParisLongchamp was a good example, given three of the five other Group 1 events went for export. One of those Group 1s went to Aidan O’Brien, whose Opera Singer was hugely impressive in the Prix Marcel Boussac.

The daughter of Justify, a stallion very much making waves, was in a different league to her rivals and looks a prime contender for next year’s 1000 Guineas.