So You and Nathaniel on the drift for Sunday'sArc

LEADING Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hopes So You Think and Nathaniel were both the subject of drifts on Betfair on Monday on a volatile day's trading on Sunday's Longchamp showpiece.

Worries about the likely fast ground for King George winner Nathaniel prompted him to drift so alarmingly on Betfair that he was laid at 39-1 for small amounts although he settled back to around 14-1 in the evening.

Bookmakers were considerably more circumspect than exchange layers, but the colt is now widely available at 7-1 for Sunday's race, having been a general 9-2 chance earlier this month.

Later So You Think also drifted, prompting Paddy Power to briefly suspend their betting on the Arc due to "inconsistencies" in the market.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin said around 6.30pm: "It would be unwise and premature to read too much into the drift at this stage because the monies involved are limited.

"But the fact is So You Think's price has lengthened in the last hour, hitting a high of 9-1 at one point."

The official going at Longchamp on Monday was good and watering was not to be considered until Tuesday at the earliest.

One horse who is definitely set to bypass Longchamp is impressive Stewards' Cup winner Hoof It, who will miss Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp and be aimed instead at the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot.

David Easterby, assistant to his father Mick, confirmed: "He's recovering well from his hoof problem and we will get a shoe on him this evening, but he's missed too much work to be going for a race like the Abbaye and so we will prepare him instead for Ascot on October 15."