The first Sunday in October is Arc Weekend 2025 day 2 and there are five more Group 1s at Longchamp supporting the most valuable race in Europe. As supporting cards go, there are none better outside major international events in the sport of kings.
As if the Arc isn’t exciting enough, look out for juvenile races in the build-up to the big one. These are the Prix Marcel Boussac for fillies and Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, honouring two of France’s greatest owner-breeders. Also before the feature contest is a mad dash on the sprint course in the Prix de l’Abbaye over the flying five furlongs.
Even after the main event, Group 1s just keep on coming on the Arc Weekend 2025 day 2 card. The Prix de l’Opera for fillies and mares over a mile-and-a-quarter often throws up a superstar in its own race. Concluding the top level action across the two days is the Prix de la Foret for seven-furlong specialists.
All this action means punters have plenty to ponder with competitive betting heats with online horse racing bookies pricing things up accordingly. British and Irish firms can end up favouring domestic horses from the UK and Emerald Isle, leaving foreign ones representing the home team with a bit of value.
Our experts leafed through the form book before coming up with their Sunday selections from this superb supporting card. Read all of their thoughts and analysis below with cases put their fancies based on that study and what the market tells us.
Arc Weekend 2025 Day 2 Preview for Sunday, 5 October
12:40 – 1m Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac
⭕ #ParisLongchamp – Prix d’Aumale (Gr II)
Green Spirit (Kingman) reste invaincue et offre un nouveau succès à son entourage. La pensionnaire de C.Head, montée par M.Guyon et sous les couleurs Wertheimer & Frère, devance Narissa (Siyouni) et Clea Chope (Muhaarar). pic.twitter.com/2rsajYAXuO— France Galop (@francegalop) September 11, 2025
If only Aylin would wait for the Fillies’ Mile, having needed almost the entire Straight Course at Doncaster to get up last time out. She doesn’t, however, and Karl Burke goes for more top level success in France after striking in the Prix Morny with Venetian Sun earlier in the campaign. It’s very hard to ignore the claims of course and distance Group 2 winner GREEN SPIRIT.
Unbeaten in four starts for Christopher Head, this daughter of Kingman confirmed previous form with Narissa when landing the Prix d’Aumale last time. Green Spirit quickened up nicely and could have too much speed for her rivals. The runner-up and third, Clea Chope, both re-oppose but probably in vain.
Aidan O’Brien poses a bigger danger, if the market is correct, with Diamond Necklace. She steps markedly up in grade after landing a Listed event around Leopardstown at the Irish Champions Festival last month. Diamond Necklace has done nothing wrong, but she needs to be very smart against the pace of Green Spirit and staying power of Aylin.
The Wertheimer Brothers have an also undefeated second string here in Christophe Ferland’s Ozone. Like Diamond Necklake, she won a Listed race last night, but goes straight in at the highest level after just two career starts. It’ll be a major upset if one of the others were to land the spoils here.
1:15 – 7f Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere
RAYIF (IRE) storms home to take the G3 Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville.🇫🇷✨
2yo colt bred & owned by @AgaKhanStuds . 🥇👏pic.twitter.com/njra66w3bO
— ITM (@IREthoroughbred) August 17, 2025
Rayif also has frontrunner Campacite to aim at after he made all around Deauville in Listed company for Jean-Claude Rouget. As the selection has a Group 3 win on the Straight Course at the same venue under his belt, he could well p ick him up. Aidan O’Brien relies on Puerto Rico from four left in at penultimate declarations.
Although highly experienced for a juvenile, he does look vulnerable to less exposed runners despite landing the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster last time. Narrow Solario Stakes scorer A Bit Of Spirit faces an old rival in Godolphin’s Time To Turn, but so fine were their margins of victory around Sandown and Ascot respectively that it’s hard to know who will come out on top this time.
1:50 – 5f Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye
🏆 MONTEILLE captures the Gr3 Prix du Petit Couvert @paris_longchamp for Mario Baratti & Mr G. Augustin-Normand 👏
By Cable Bay, she was offered by her trainer @EcurieBaratti at #GoffsLondon
🥇 #GoffsGrad pic.twitter.com/S1zSMgpMK8— Goffs (@Goffs1866) September 14, 2025
Mario Baratti’s four-year-old Cable Bay filly held off re-opposing runner-up Rayveka, now drawn on the opposite side in Gate 19, in a Group 3 trial over course and distance last time. Monteille is also 4lb better off with that old rival now, which helps in her bid to confirm the form. The selection couldn’t go the pace on fast ground during Royal Ascot, but forecast rain helps her cause.
Among those home in front of Monteille in the King Charles III Stakes over the summer were Frost At Dawn and Asfoora. Both fellow females have low draws here, which help, but neither has backed up their best form this season. Both finished behind Jm Jungle on rain softened ground during Glorious Goodwood. John & Sean Quinn’s stable star has potential draw bias against him now, however.
Kevin Ryan sends three over from Yorkshire with 100/1 Nunthorpe second Ain’t Nobody drawn best. He needs to improve that wasn’t a fluke, though. William Haggas pair First Instinct and Sky Majesty, who has won uphill on a stiff course at Naas, have high gates to overcome. Ed Walker’s Mgheera has won over course and distance before, while juvenile colt Afjan receives a whole stone and up from the field.
3:50 – 1m 2f Group 1 Prix de l’Opera
Blimey …. 👀@Jessica_Racing‘s 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐚 dominates from the front in what looked a competitive renewal of the @MoyglareStud ”Jewels” Blandford Stakes @curraghrace 🧨 pic.twitter.com/tnuOihiTjb
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 14, 2025
Jessie Harrington saw Barnavara reverse past form with Red Letter and re-opposing second One Look split the pair. She doesn’t mind a bit of cut in the ground, so long as conditions don’t deteriorate too much. Wemightakedlongway represents Joseph O’Brien, meanwhile, and landed a Navan Classic trial on soft earlier in the campaign over this distance.
Although twice no match for Minnie Hauk, her Epsom and Irish Oaks runs give plenty of hope about dropping back to a mile-and-a-quarter. Wemightakedlongway faces nothing of Whirl and Kalpana’s calibre from among her elders like she did when last over this trip and fourth in the Pretty Polly.
Andrew Balding’s See The Fire hasn’t reproduced her Middleton rout from York, but has been highly tried since. She won’t want it too soft either. David Menuisier has talked up old rival Tamfana, meanwhile, but she’s been off the track almost twice as long as anything else in the field. With January taking a backwards step last time, German Oaks heroine Nicoreni could get in amongst these.
4:25 – 7f Group 1 Prix de la Foret
The Aga Khan has a strong hand, meanwhile, with Zarigana and Roshvar with the market preferring the three-year-old filly as that age bracket produced the last two winners. Also of interest from the home team, however, is SAJIR. Fabre’s son of 2015 winner Make Believe beat some useful horses like Lazzat and Woodshauna, who had landed Group 1s on their previous outings, in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.
As Sajir looked well on top at the finish and reversed past form with Topgear, he should go well again. German raider Geography arrives here in good heart, meanwhile, and should be a strong stayer at this trip. Maranoa Charlie has been knocking on the door at this level in recent months too
British raiders Ten Bob Tony and Witness Stand have won Pattern races on home turf over this specialists’ distance earlier in the season. For Ireland, Aidan O’Brien has three-year-old filly Exactly back down a furlong after her Matron Stakes second on the Leopardstown Round Mile. Last year’s fourth Exxtra is worth an honourable mention.
