The Japanese are coming, and Arc glory is their holy grail

One of the great sporting quests could come to an end at Longchamp on Sunday with a Japanese winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

After more than half a century of trying and a number of near misses, the stars appeared to be aligning this week for a country yet to taste victory in the race in this damp corner of the Bois du Boulogne which it regards as its holy grail.

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The race’s three Japanese runners – Croix du Nord, Byzantine Dream and Alohi Alii – have all won or run solid trials in France en route to the Arc. And while Japanese horses never encounter soft ground at home, Croix du Nord and Alohi Alii have already demonstrated they can handle it in France. It seems that only Byzantine Dream, Oisin Murphy’s mount, would be truly compromised by mud.

On top of that, the European challengers lack strength in depth, although it contains the second, third and fourth (Aventure, Los Angeles and Sosie) from last year’s race.

But if the stars were aligning, the draw slightly knocked two of the Japanese hopefuls out of kilter with Byzantine Dream and Croix du Nord both drawn out wide, nearer the Champs Elysees than the inside rail.

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In more than 100 years the Arc has been won by horses from France, Britain, Ireland, Italy and Germany but it has never been won by a horse trained outside of Europe. The first Japanese runner was the unplaced Speed Symboli in 1969, a horse that had finished fifth in the Washington DC International and King George.

Near misses

The country’s first serious challenger was the 1998 Japan Cup winner El Condor Pasa who was three lengths clear in the home straight before being cut down on the heavy ground in the last 100 yards by Montjeu.

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He was beaten half a length but was six lengths clear of third. That same year the Japanese sprinter Agnes World won the Prix de L’Abbaye to become the first Japanese Group One winner in Europe.

In 2006, Deep Impact, the Japanese Triple Crown winner, turned up with a massive fanbase estimated in some quarters to be 6,000 travelling supporters. When the gates opened they all had a bet on the Pari-Mutuel with the sole intention not of making money but of having the betting slip as a souvenir. At one stage in the morning Deep Impact was as short as 1-2.

Back in Japan it was estimated 16 per cent of the population watched the race in the wee small hours, but Deep Impact was beaten into third, beaten three quarters of a length by Rail Link.

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Another near miss although it was, perhaps, just as well as it spared the heartache of a subsequent disqualification after post-race tests came up positive for a banned substance.

Nakayama Festa ran Workforce, the Derby winner, to a neck in 2010 while, two years later, Orfevre appeared to have victory in the bag, two lengths clear with a furlong to run, before Solemia appeared out of the pack to beat him in the last strides by a neck. He returned in 2013 to again fill the runner-up spot but, this time, a respectful five lengths behind the French wonder filly Treve.

Fillies have a 50 per cent strike-rate in the race in the past 10 years and Aventure, Minnie Hauk and Kalpana look like the ones to beat on Sunday.

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Croix de Nord is a three time Group One-winning colt, including the Japanese Guineas and Derby. He beat Daryz in a Group Three at Deauville, but proved he could handle proper soft ground. He will be ridden by Yusi Kitamura who knows him better than he does European racing.

Byzantine Dream has yet to win a Group One race but triumphed over one mile seven furlongs in Saudi Arabia at the start of the year, so stamina is not a problem. Also, judged on his victory over last year’s Arc fourth Sosie in the Prix Foy, nor is a turn of foot. Added to this Murphy knows his way round Longchamp.

“Provided he relaxes and we get good ground he has a great chance,” said his jockey. “For a horse who has been running over extreme distances he showed a good turn of foot at Longchamp and beat a good benchmark in Sosie. The standout horses to beat are the fillies.”

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On his first start for four months Alohi Alii, ridden by Japan-based Frenchman Christophe Lemaire, hacked up over a mile and a quarter in a Group Three in Deauville without coming off the bridle. That proved he could handle the soft going and, according to Lemaire, enjoy the slower early tempo of a French race to the quicker starting races at home. At 18-1 and the outsider of the three Japanese runners he is, perhaps, the one.

Earlier this week his trainer, Hiroyasu Tanaka explained what the Arc means to him. “I studied in France for a long time, and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe was an inspiration for me to become a trainer. Already, as a jockey, I had come to France several times and stayed for long periods.

“Becoming a trainer with the Arc as a goal has always been an ambition for me. Today, I am very happy to be able to participate in this great race. Of course, we aim for victory, but above all I am happy to be here with my horse.”