Orfevre's Arc: the Japanese dream that turned into a nightmare in two strides

Throughout racing, you have always had the good, the bad and the ugly. However, on a few special occasions fans are graced with the downright wacky.

They may have slipped your mind, but they have not been erased from history and have brought us some of the funniest – and most dramatic – moments ever seen on the track.

In a new series by the Racing Post, we take a look back at some of the wackiest races ever run, this time remembering the mindboggling, and heartbreaking, defeat of Orfevre in the 2012 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

The horse

Orfevre may have arrived from Japan in the autumn of 2012 with a little less fanfare than the mighty Deep Impact five years earlier, but the four-year-old had already amassed six Grade 1 successes at home including the 2011 Triple Crown.

To some eyes lessons appeared to have been learnt by trainer Yasutoshi Ikee, who had travelled with Deep Impact as assistant to his father Yasuo, in the decision to take in a trial, while for the first time a major Arc challenger from Japan would be ridden by one of Europe's best in two-time winner Christophe Soumillon.

An easy length defeat of Meandre in the Prix Foy three weeks ahead of D-Day confirmed he would be a major factor come the Arc itself.

The race

As usual the 2012 Arc attracted the cream of Europe's middle-distance stars, and plenty of the storylines revolved around Camelot.

Three weeks earlier he had been beaten in his historic attempt to land the Triple Crown at Doncaster and was now seeking redemption.

To add to the drama, his Godolphin conqueror on Town Moor, Encke, had been ridden by Mickael Barzalona, leading Frankie Dettori to cement his fateful split with Sheikh Mohammed's operation by accepting the ride on Camelot for arch-rivals Coolmore.

Orfevre (red cap) hits the front and goes clear before dramatically emptying close homeCredit: Edward Whitaker

Also prominent in the betting was Great Heavens for John Gosden and William Buick, Sea Moon for the Sir Michael Stoute and Ryan Moore tandem, and the unlikely French Derby hero Saonois.

Add to that you had the arrival on Saturday night of a deluge in Paris, meaning that the 91st Arc would be run on the heaviest ground since Montjeu had triumphed in 1999.

With Coolmore pacemakers Ernest Hemingway and Robin Hood cutting out a sustained pace on the testing ground, Soumillon and Orfevre had one horse behind them at halfway.

As the field ran dowhill into the false straight, he tucked the distinctive chestnut colt back in behind a rival, so well was he going that a dab on the brakes was required so as not to get there too easily, too soon.

Full result and race replay

What happened next

Standing on the press balcony in the old Longchamp grandstand half a furlong from the winning post, I distinctly remember saying to nobody in particular "he really is that good," as Orfevre ranged up on the outside of the field and sauntered into what looked a decisive lead, leaving a tiring Solemia in his wake.

With the BBC having elected not to cover the Arc a matter of weeks before its contract to cover British racing expired, Ian Bartlett was commentating for both domestic satellite viewers and anglophone audiences across the world.

From his precarious vantage point on the seventh floor, Bartlett intoned: "But it's Orfevre now for Japan, they're going to do it! Orfevre storms to the lead."

On France's Equidia channel, Stephane Costes was no less convinced that Orfevre was now in an unassailable lead over Solemia, saying: "Orfevre has come there on the wide outside with Christophe Soumillon and he now takes the advantage in this Arc de Triomphe."

What followed is as inexplicable now as it was unexpected then.

With Olivier Peslier riding for his life aboard Solemia, Orfevre headed for the security of the rail as the cost of his effort began suddenly to take its toll.

Soumillon went from sitting motionless to furiously demanding one final surge but Orfevre's stride continued to shorten, while as Peslier drew alongside the final indignity came as the Japanese challenger collided with the running rail.

The last furlong had seemed to last an eternity but in commentating terms the complexion of the race changed in the blink of an eye.

Some 100 metres out Bartlett correctly identified that Orfevre was spent and was brave enough to call Solemia the winner as the pair passed the post, while French viewers were treated to Costes repeating the names of the two duelling horses in rapid-fire succession before going with "Solemia, perhaps!" on the line.

His co-commentator Gianni Caggiula immediately followed up with the immortal line: "The Japanese are cursed."

It did indeed seem the cruellest twist of fate for a racing-mad nation that craved a first Arc win, a sense that gained even wider recognition in the hours and days that followed as a video of Japanese fans watching their dream turn to ashes went viral.

The in-running comment

Held up in last trio, smooth headway on outer over 2f out, ridden to lead 1 1/2f out, hung right and quickened clear inside final furlong, looked in full control but began to idle and rapidly diminishing advantage close home, headed last strides

What they say

Olivier Peslier, the winning jockey

I thought I still had a good chance of being second and she did pick up. I sent her after Orfevre because I knew that on that ground she would be ultra-tough.

It's racing but in another way I felt for the Japanese fans and I could hear coming back in people sighing, 'Oh, Peslier-san! Not him!' I love Japan and Japanese racing and their fans are superb in the way they encourage the jockeys and adore the horses.

Christophe Soumillon, second on Orfevre

When I took him out he rushed forward too quickly. It was a terrible moment because 300 metres earlier he gave me one of the best impressions I've had on a horse.

I think when he went so fast he didn't breathe like he should and probably his heart rate went too high. The power I got [from him] 200 metres before, I could never have imagined that would happen.

Ian Bartlett, British commentator

Peslier gave Solemia one of those rides that I think means he is so underrated because she travelled for him and he let her get on and do her own thing. He looks very quiet but at the same time is actually very strong.

But didn't Orfevre travel well? I can't remember seeing one who had a race won and then gave it away so quickly.

As he took it up I had in mind when Deep Impact moved up in the false straight and there was the most almighty roar that came up from the stands from all the Japanese in the crowd. I think it was still in the back of my mind what a huge thing it was for them.

Stephane Costes, Equidia lead commentator

When you saw Christophe coming there on the outside you would have struggled to believe that the dream could turn into a nightmare in two strides.

It's funny because I never called Orfevre the winner. But I was lucky because two strides before the line I probably would have summoned a phrase like "Bravo Japan! Bravo Orfevre!"

The other thing I remember thinking is that Olivier Peslier never looked like he believed he was beaten, the way he changed his whip hand and really went after Orfevre on Solemia. But it's hard to think of another occasion when fortune has changed that quickly in a race.

What happened next

The presence of Japan's best horse in the field had ensured a huge contingent of travelling press and television.

In an unprecedented move, Soumillon came to the media centre to give his version of what had just happened and to apologise to the millions of fans who had waited up into the early hours of the morning in the hope of watching Orfevre prevail.

Ikee went home to plot another challenge and when he returned to France the following autumn told reporters that he was working on Orfevre's mind as much as his physical condition.

Indeed on his final gallop, four days before the 2013 Arc, Soumillon galloped Orfevre in behind a wall of three lead horses who the parted to allow him through at the end.

Ikee's explanation stated: "I don't want him to be scared in among horses on Sunday."

Such attention to detail was for nought as Orfevre could run only a brave but distant second behind the brilliant Treve, Soumillon and Olivier Peslier on Intello once again doing battle.

Orfevre's career nevertheless ended in glory as he blitzed his rivals by eight lengths in the Grade 1 Arima Kinen in December 2013, since when he has established himself as a leading stallion at Shadai Farm.

Solemia would face the Japanese star once again in her final race before retirement, finishing down the field in a 2012 Japan Cup in which Orfevre lost out to Gentildonna by a nose.

As for the passionate and heartbroken fans in the video, their wait goes on, although surely a Japanese success in the race they crave the most is a matter of when, not if.

3.05 Longchamp Sunday: Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe racecard

More from our Wacky Races series:

'It was a split-second reaction' – Al Boum Photo stuns everyone at Punchestown

'He just ploughed on the wrong way' – recalling See The World's 999-1 debut win

'All of a sudden he appeared' – when Skipthescales came from nowhere to win

'He was away in the trees' – reliving The Lion Dancer's Towcester detour

'He'll never recover from that!' – the heroics of Killultagh Vic and Ruby Walsh

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