Brilliant Almanzor finds Arc star Found no problem

It was a sacrifice some found hard to understand, but as far as Jean-Claude Rouget was concerned the decision was a simple one – he had a plan and was sticking to it.

After a career that has yielded more than 6,000 victories, more than any other trainer in Europe, Rouget is as thick skinned as he is wise, and despite the cries from far and wide that Almanzor should bid for his country's and arguably Europe's most iconic race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, he was never going to be swayed.

Result and analysis