UNBEATEN superstar Baaeed will NOT run in the Arc and instead will end his career at Ascot next month.
Title chasing trainer William Haggas has opted to swerve the end of season showpiece in France for a shot at the Champion Stakes.
Haggas is fighting it out with Charlie Appleby to become champion trainer in Britain for the first time in his career
Baaeed, who has won all ten of his races, was the 9-4 favourite for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
He would have cemented himself as one of the best of all time with a famous victory at Longchamp.
Instead he is 1-3 – and more likely to go off 1-10 on the day – for the Group 1 over ten furlongs on Champions Day in his bid to retire unbeaten.
Newmarket-based Haggas – who could clinch his first trainer’s title thanks to the whopping £737,230 first-place prize – said: “After much consultation with Sheika Hissa and her team, we have decided that Baaeed’s final start will be in the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 15.
“He was very impressive in the Juddmonte International and it was only right that we explored every option.
“But I, in particular, was very keen to keep him at a mile and a quarter and therefore the Qipco Champion Stakes was the only logical solution.
“There are many, I’m sure, who are going to be disappointed that he is not going to be running in the Arc, but we can’t do both and we all feel that it is the right decision for the horse, so Ascot it will be.
“Let’s hope we have him in top form for that.”
Aidan O’Brien’s Luxembourg, a winner of the Irish Champion Stakes last weekend, has been thrust to favourite in the markets as a result.
The one-time Derby favourite was cut to 4-1 from 5-1 by Coral.
Bookie spokesman David Stevens said: “Luxembourg was the big weekend market mover in the Arc betting following his Irish Champions Stake victory, his price falling from 14-1 to 5-1 second favourite, and following the news that Baaeed will not be heading to Paris next month, the Ballydoyle colt is now the clear market leader for what many regard as Flat racing’s greatest contest.
“Baaeed appears to have the Qipco Champion Stakes at his mercy, and depending on the opposition at Ascot, his starting price could be somewhere close to the 2-11 Frankel was sent off when he ran his last race.”
Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista is second fav on 5-1 with Japanese raider Titleholder and defending champion Torquator Tasso 8-1.
Haggas and owners Shadwell would have had to have paid just over £100,000 to supplement Baaeed for the Arc if they had wanted to run him.
He is already entered in the Ascot race and connections made the big call after the horse worked this morning on the gallops in Newmarket.
Arc de Triomphe odds (from Coral)
4 Luxembourg
5 Alpinista
8 Titleholder, Torquator Tasso
9 Onesto
14 Adayar
16 La Parisienne, Westover
20 Al Hakeem, Do Deuce
25 Bar
