Owen Burrows on Hukum's Arc chances - and why it's a 'different ball game' for the favourite Ace Impact

Owen Burrows has talked up Hukum's chances of winning the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.35 Longchamp) next weekend and warned that the race will be a "different ball game" to anything French favourite Ace Impact has faced as he takes on older horses for the first time.

Burrows was speaking to the Racing Post for an exclusive interview in Sunday's newspaper in which he discussed preparations for what could be the biggest day of his career next weekend, how the stigma of being seen as a private trainer has been hard to shed and the controversial riding ban for Jim Crowley that cast a shadow over Hukum's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes win.

On the strength of that narrow victory over Westover at Ascot in July, Hukum is the second-favourite for the Arc on Sunday week at a best-priced 11-2 with bet365, behind Jean-Claude Rouget's unbeaten three-year-old Ace Impact, who has won five times against his own age group. In contrast, Hukum has twice won all-aged Group 1 races, in the 2022 Coronation Cup and this year's King George.

Assessing the opposition, Burrows said: "I massively respect Westover because he doesn't have much to find with us and the three-year-old [Ace Impact] looks a bit of a monster who could be anything. But the Arc is a different ball game and Hukum is an older horse who has won a King George and is pretty versatile ground-wise. He doesn't have a lot to prove."

Burrows is well aware the weather forecast in Paris is looking predominantly dry from this point but, while a slogfest in heavy ground would have been no concern for Hukum, any going description without the word 'firm' in it should suit his horse perfectly.

"Over the last week I've started to check what the weather is doing at Longchamp," he admitted. "As long as it's not rattling quick, I'm pretty easy. If it did turn out to be a bog it would hinder others more than us but good ground would be fine and it'll all come pretty much the same to him."

The trainer also echoed the words of Shadwell’s racing manager Angus Gold in suggesting Hukum's absence since winning the King George was no concern.

"Knowing what kind of horse he is, I'm more than happy," he said. "Workforce won the Arc on his first start since the King George when I was with Sir Michael [Stoute], so it's doable."

Read more from Owen Burrows in The Big Read, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (October 1, Longchamp)

bet365: 7-2 Ace Impact, 11-2 Hukum, 8 Westover, Continuous*, 9 Feed The Flame, 14 Emily Upjohn, 20 Luxembourg, Bay Bridge, Fantastic Moon, Simca Mille, Zagrey, Place Du Carrousel, 25 bar

*needs to be supplemented

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