So why were the French eclipsed at the Arc meeting again?

For the third year running French trainers will look back at the country’s biggest racing weekend wondering what might have been, with a haul of two Group 1 wins from a possible seven at the Arc meeting showing only a slight improvement on the solitary successes gleaned in each of the previous two years at Chantilly.

Enable's narrow defeat of Sea Of Class meant that it is now four straight Arcs that have gone for export, the longest losing streak for France since the race was inaugurated in 1920.

With Aidan O’Brien drawing a rare blank, Irish trainers were left in the cold as well, meaning British-based horses have scored in 14 of the last 21 Group 1s at the meeting.