CLASSIC CLICHE will bid to give Saeed bin Suroor back to back victories in Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe following the success of Lammtarra 12 months ago, it was announced yesterday.
The participation of the Godolphin colt was in doubt earlier in the week amid reports that he had not been pleasing connections in his homework since his second to Pentire in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot in July.
However, the four year old, successful over two and a half miles in Royal Ascot's Gold Cup in June, came through a gallop at Newmarket yesterday morning and will take his place in the lineup for the £527,000 race, for which he is quoted at 8 to 1 by William Hill.
"He runs for certain unless anything goes wrong between now and Sunday," said Godolphin's racing manager Simon Crisford at Newmarket yesterday. "He worked this morning over six furlongs on the Limekilns under Frankie Dettori in company with Halling. It was just a very easy piece of work - but he pulled 10 lengths clear of Halling!
It is far from ideal to go to the Arc with his preparation because you can't win a race like that unless you are 100 per cent fit. At no stage was he unhealthy - he has just been a bit lacklustre in his attitude, but he has recaptured his sparkle lately.
The ground at Longchamp is currently described as very soft and Crisford welcomed the weather forecast for further rain before Sunday. "When he won the St Leger it was good to soft and that would be ideal for him as it would slow some of the other horses down and make it a test of stamina," he added.
Connections had been considering an ambitious assault on an Arc Melbourne Cup double with Classic Cliche but Crisford reported that no decision will be made regarding the Flemington handicap on November 5th until after Sunday, warning: "We'll wait and see how he runs first."
With Dettori confirmed to partner Classic Cliche, John Gosden has booked Freddie Head, who won the Arc aboard San San (1972), Ivanjica (1976) and Three Troikas (1979), to ride Tamure.
Tamure, second to Lammtarra in last year's Vodafone Derby, has not run since finishing fourth in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont Park last October, suffering an interrupted preparation during the summer.
"He was ready to run in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot but the ground was too firm," said Gosden. Then he was ready to run in the Geoffrey Freer but he got a corn in his foot. He could have run there because the ground was good.
"As long as it is good at Longchamp, he'll run. People will say it is a little bit wild to run but when you have waited this long it is the right thing to do."
Confirming the booking of Head, the trainer added: "He is a great jockey and a great friend. He knows Longchamp very well and we were very lucky he was available."
Clive Brittain's much travelled Luso, who finished 13th in last year s Arc, was left in at yesterday morning's forfeit stage but Brittain will keep an eye on the Paris weather before reaching a final decision as to whether the Salse colt will take his chance.
"We have left him in but he is not 100 per cent certain to run," said Britain. "Rain is forecast and he wouldn't want it any softer than it is now, so we will have to wait and see.
Brittain will not be able to take comfort from the latest going report from Longchamp where the going is still classified as "very soft" though the penetrometer reading rose to 3.7, slightly faster than the 3.9 registered the previous day. Some showers are forecast over the next few days, so an easy surface looks virtually assured for Sunday's big race.
Meanwhile, Olivier Peslier, speaking from Newmarket, hinted that he might try to make all the running on current Arc favourite Hellisio.
However, Peslier, champion jockey elect in France, has great respect for the year older Pentire.
