Wonderful Tonight, forced to miss a King George showdown with Love and Adayar a week ago on drying ground, kept her Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe challenge alive at the weekend with an authoritative success in the Group Two Lily Langtry Stakes at Glorious Goodwood.
Despite having won over the same 13 furlong trip last autumn at the Arc meeting, owner Christopher Wright told the press that the Goodwood race was far more demanding under a British gallop.
Wonderful Tonight has remained steady at 8-1 with Betfair and Betfred for the Parisian showpiece, although that price seems to already assume soft underfoot conditions.
Wonderful Tonight – a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner? 🤔
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2021
Over in France, Clairefontaine hosted a gala meeting with a few Listed races. Gelding Magny Cours, who is ineligible for the Arc, beat off Jean-Claude Rouget’s Raabihah over nine furlongs. Raabihah was entitled to find the trip sharp, but it was disappointing that she needed encouraging at the top of the home straight and she can almost be ruled out of Arc calculations now at 50-1 with William Hill.
Double on the day for @mickaelbarzalon and André Fabre! @godolphin's Magny Cours makes it 6 wins from 13 runs after a dominant display at @hippoclairefont… pic.twitter.com/7qb897htRm
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 1, 2021
Coming up we could see Dermot Weld’s Tarnawa in the Group Three Fitzdares Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh on 13 August. She is 8-1 with bet365.
Aidan O’Brien is mob-handed with the likes of Snowfall and Love, but his smart colt Bolshoi Ballet, a winner of the Belmont Derby three weeks ago, is in the Grade One Saratoga Derby this weekend in a deeper field. He is a 25-1 shot for the Arc with Unibet and other firms.
How good is next weekend's G1 Saratoga Derby @TheNYRA? Euro shippers Secret Protector, State Of Rest and Cadillac likely to join Belmont Derby winner Bolshoi Ballet. Great race. #Saratoga pic.twitter.com/pMOmUNCwu5
— Laura King لورا كنج (@LauraKingDXB) August 1, 2021