Longchamp set to be extremely testing with more rain on the way

A Saturday of intermittent showers and the promise of more rain overnight and into Sunday has left Longchamp officials expecting the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe will be run on no better than holding ground, though it will ride more like heavy.

With a 17-metre strip of fresh turf due to be opened up for Sunday's eight-race card, Frankie Dettori was taking a relaxed view of the potential impact on Enable's bid for history.

Dettori said on Saturday: "She copes with this ground. She won the King George and Breeders' Cup Turf on soft ground. We're also racing on a different track tomorrow and I don't think you can compare it to the track we're on today."

Frankie Dettori got a winner on the board for John Gosden on Saturday thanks to Anapurna in the Prix de RoyallieuCredit: Edward Whitaker

The going had already turned to very soft (3.8 on the penetrometer before racing after a rainy morning) while a heavy burst shortly after the end of the Saturday card led to the course taking a further dowsing.

"After the rain late afternoon I think we're looking at a penetrometer reading of 3.9 or 4.0," said Jean-Guillaume d'Orglandes, track supervisor for all of France Galop's Parisian tracks.

"Depending how much rain we get I think we'll be looking at a reading on the penetrometer that indicates holding but it will feel like heavy.

"It will be cloudy all day and I think the going will be really testing by the time we get to the seventh and eighth races."

Members can read in-depth reports from daily race meetings every evening