Racing: 33-1 Solemia pips Orfevre at post to win Arc

Orfevre had an unfavourable draw, starting from the far outside 18th stall, but the Japanese horse burst ahead with 300 yards remaining and looked certain to win until Peslier pushed the filly hard on the home stretch and just edged in front to win by nearly half a length on the outsider.

“I thought I was racing for a place, but she was very brave,” Peslier said. “When I came out of the last turn, I pushed hard and just kept going. I kept fighting. When I saw Orfevre ahead, I thought I was racing for second or third place. I thought I couldn’t catch Orfevre.”

The result was met with elation from bookmakers, with William Hill estimating that the firm had won £1 million, as heavy support for Frankie Dettori’s mount Camelot – who finished only seventh – and a late each-way plunge on Great Heavens were thwarted. William Hill spokesman Richard Thomas said: “Olivier Peslier and Solemia are the toast of William Hill, providing us with a £1m win on the 2012 Arc. Danedream’s success a year ago was the best in recent memory, but this result tops that. We took on Camelot yesterday and today, and he would have cost us over £1m.

“Turnover on the race was strong and the lack of terrestrial coverage appears not to have had a significant impact on the level of interest.”

David Williams of Ladbrokes agreed. “Solemia went virtually unnoticed by punters,” he said. “When Orfevre hit the front we were resigned to a monster payout but we’ve escaped with a skinner on the line. Peslier is the toast of the bookies and the winning result could scarcely have been any better for us.”

Peslier, 39, last tasted success in 1998 on Sagamix, having won the previous two Arc races on Peintre Celebre in 1997 and Helissio in 1996.

Peslier joined Yves Saint-Martin, Jacques Doyasbere, Pat Eddery and Freddy Head as a four-time winner, and does not intend to stop there. “It’s an honour, they are great jockeys,” Peslier said. “I’m going to keep riding so, you never know, I might get one more.”

Solemia, meanwhile, will compete at the Breeders’ Cup in Los Angeles next month.

Solemia’s trainer, Carlos Laffon-Parias, was pleased with the four-year-old’s performance, and thrilled with Peslier. “Soft ground is very important to her. I hoped she might get a place and obviously this is much better,” Laffon-Parias said. “Sometimes the jockey can make the difference and Olivier Peslier is the one who won the race.”

The last horse to win from a double-figure draw was Dalakhani in 2003, and Orfevre blew the chance to add to that triumph, despite being drawn on the outside rail.

Japanese Triple Crown winner Orfevre was tucked into the back of the bunch for most of the race but jockey Christophe Soumillon made his move and Orfevre, which also won last month’s Prix Foy, streaked clear. But Peslier used all of his experience to time his move perfectly and, as Orfevre’s legs started to go in the closing stages, Solemia surged forward with a great late burst of speed to deny Japan another victory in the prestigious race to add to those by El Condor Pasa, Deep Impact and Nakayama Festa.

“I love Japan, and Orfevre was my favourite before the race, even with that number [unfavourable draw],” Peslier said. “I’m very happy for myself, and very sad for the Japanese, but this is racing and these things happen.”

Solemia started from the sixth stall, which has launched four of the past eight Arc winners. Masterstroke, which was 11-1 with British bookmakers, finished third and Haya Landa was fourth.

Danedream was withdrawn a few days before the race when her stables in Germany were placed into quarantine due to an outbreak of an equine infection.

The other pre-race favourite was Camelot, highly fancied and ridden by three-time Arc winner Dettori, but the three-year-old colt disappointed. Dettori said Camelot, having already won the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby this year, was a bit tired.

“It was just a long season took its toll,” Dettori said. “I had a perfect trip and he took me beautifully into the straight on the bridle, but just as soon I knew we were in trouble and in fairness to the horse he’s been going for some time since the Guineas.”

Also at Longchamp, Richard Hannon’s Olympic Glory paid his new owner an immediate dividend with a Group 1 victory in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) at Longchamp. In four previous starts, the two-year-old’s sole defeat had come at the hands of ante-post 2000 Guineas favourite Dawn Approach in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

SELECTIONS

Pontefract

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4.10 Marford Missile

4.40 Discay

5.10 Anqooda.

Windsor

2.20 Gladiatrix

2.50 Netley Marsh

3.20 Ravens Nest

3.50 Just Charlie

4.20 Dick Bos

4.50 Ancient Greece

5.20 Main Line

5.50 Livia’s Dream

Wolverhampton

2.00 Stir Trader

2.30 First Rebellion

3.00 My Trust

3.30 Majestic Breeze

4.00 Amoure Medici

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5.30 Star City