Adayar pleases Appleby in workout but Arc challenge hinges on Paris weather

Adayar moved a step closer to running in next Sunday’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after pleasing trainer Charlie Appleby in a gallop on Saturday, but the weather in Paris is likely to determine whether last year’s Derby winner lines up at Longchamp.

The four-year-old made his belated return to action at Doncaster this month when cantering to victory in a 1m2f conditions contest, after which Appleby indicated he was leaning towards the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15.

However, the trainer maintained the Arc could still be an option for Adayar after a crucial piece of work at Godolphin’s private Moulton Paddocks training facility and instead turned his focus to the ground conditions for the race.

“He worked well this morning and I couldn’t be happier with him,” Appleby said, speaking at Newmarket. “We’ll leave him in [the Arc] on Monday and we’ll be on weather watch more than anything.

“If it’s turning soft this time of year then it’s really soft, which we wouldn’t want. If it’s good to soft then we’ll have someone over there walking the course so we’ll know ourselves this time.”

Adayar was beaten in both the Arc and the Champion Stakes, which were run on ground described as heavy and good to soft respectively.

Appleby has been given more reasons to be buoyed by the colt's wellbeing, with the four-year-old’s regular gallops lead horse Siskany winning the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket on Friday and Dhahabi, who was beaten nine and three-quarter lengths by Adayar at Doncaster, landing a handicap at Newmarket on Thursday under top weight.

Adayar is a general 7-1 chance for the Arc, with the betting headed by 4-1 favourite Luxembourg.

After a dry autumn, the first hints that rain could be on the way to Longchamp have begun to appear in the forecast for next week. The penetrometer reading at nearby Saint-Cloud was officially good to soft (3.4) on Friday – essentially good ground on a Turftrax GoingStick – the same reading as last reported at Longchamp.

Some forecasters are predicting gusty showers on Monday with more to come on Wednesday, with the chance of 15mm or more on those two days. France Galop is due to give a detailed update on ground conditions and the expectations for the week ahead on Monday morning.

Sunday October 2, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Group 1)

Betting (Skybet): Luxembourg 4, Alpinista 7, Vadeni, Adayar 8, Titleholder 9, Onesto 11, Westover 14, bar 16

Read this next:

What recent history tells us about the rating needed to win the Arc

The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday