'Of course I backed him - I don't do very big bets but 66-1 was quite insulting'

Torquator Tasso (72-1)

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, October 3

There were many and varied strands to the story of the 2021 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but it's safe to say that none of them involved Torquator Tasso. Not before the race, anyway.

While we know the Germans always win on penalties, I'm sure there were very few of us watching the race who believed their lone representative, ridden by 34-year-old Arc debutant Rene Piechulek, was likely to be involved in its denouement. He was, as they sometimes say, "an unconsidered 72-1 shot".