![France horse A V E N T U R E inset Chrsitophe Ferland jpg]()
Arc favourite AVENTURE in action – inset is her her trainer, Chrsitophe Ferland (Pic – France Galop)
Republished from Sporting Post.
AVENTURE is owned by Wertheimer & Frère. She finished second in last year’s Arc, and appears even stronger this year. She has scored in both the Gr3 Prix Allez France and the Gr2 Prix Corrida, both against fillies. In the Gr1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud at the end of June, only Calandagan managed to beat her.
Most recently, AVENTURE secured a convincing victory in the Gr1 Qatar Prix Vermeille—a key prep race for the Arc—and run over the same course and distance, defeating even her younger stablemate GEZORA, who had won the Gr1 Prix de Diane Longines in June.
Aventure will be ridden by Maxime Guyon, Wertheimer & Frère’s first jockey and a four-time winner of the Cravache d’Or, the annual title awarded to France’s leading jockey in number of wins.
Her trainer Christophe Ferland has yet to win the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but he has previously found success during this prestigious weekend, notably with Dabirsim, winner of the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère in 2011, and Indonésienne, victorious in the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac in 2013.
Ferland shared his thoughts on AVENTURE’s chances and the significance of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe during a press conference held Monday morning by France Galop.
“AVENTURE’s win in the Qatar Prix Vermeille—her first Group 1—was a real relief. We had really been waiting for that victory! Before that, she had raced four times at this level, first in the Prix de Diane Longines, where she finished fourth, then against older horses, which is always a challenging assignment. She was only beaten by horses of the calibre of Bluestocking, the Arc winner, or Calandagan! This win in the Vermeille was a major step in her career—though we naturally have more goals ahead.”
He confirmed that his charge had enjoyed a smooth preparation.
“AVENTURE recovered very well from her last race. I haven’t encountered any issues in her preparation for the Arc, which allows me to approach the race calmly. I don’t pay attention to the fact that she’s the favourite. I’m going through it all serenely, without the pressure I felt last year. In the ten days leading up to the 2024 Arc, we had many discussions about whether to run her in the Arc or the Prix de l’Opéra, which seemed like an easier option. I had the green light from her owners to enter the Arc. We have this motto: ‘We win together, we lose together!’ Her second place last year was deeply emotional for me.”
And it is comforting that the ground conditions won’t be an issue!
“AVENTURE performs well on soft ground as well as on heavier going. On Monday morning, the track reading was 3.7 on the penetrometer. It might rain a little before the race, but I’m not obsessively checking the weather—it’s something we simply can’t control! Nights are cool and humid now, so the track won’t dry as quickly as it does in summer. Maxime Guyon will ride AVENTURE. Last year, he rode Sosie in the same silks. He knows the filly very well. AVENTURE was runner-up last year… It’s up to him to make sure she wins this time!”
“The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a true world championship, and every horse at the start deserves respect. Minnie Hauk is a very talented filly; Sosie is in great form; Gezora, winner of the Prix de Diane Longines and runner-up in the Qatar Prix Vermeille, must also be taken seriously; and the Japanese horses won the prep races… Much will depend on the outcome of the post-position draw. It remains a very important factor.”