Ace Impact  justified his Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favoritism at Longchamp Oct. 1 when a sharp turn of foot helped him win one of the world’s greatest races.

Longchamp coverage courtesy of Racing Post

Now unbeaten in six starts, Ace Impact runs in the colors of Gousserie Racing and Ecuries Serge Stempniak and showed just why he has headed the betting for the Arc for much of 2023 when he ran down Westover for a  1 ¾-length victory.

Onesto was third, one place ahead of Through Seven Seas, while fifth went to St Leger winner Continuous.

Ace Impact earned an all-expenses paid berth to the Nov. 4 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita Park with his Arc victory, which is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” Series.

A son of Cracksman, whom some might regret never ran in an Arc, Ace Impact was unraced at 2 but won at Cagnes-Sur-Mer in January before another victory in April at Bordeaux le Bouscat.

A listed win at Chantilly was then secured before Jean-Claude Rouget’s charge returned to that track to capture the Prix du Jockey Club, announcing himself as a leading player for the prestigious Paris prize.

After two months off, he returned to win Deauville’s Prix Guillaume d’Ornano in August and added the Arc to his CV when flying home under his Italian jockey Cristian Demuro.

Drawn in stall eight, Ace Impact was held up by Demuro and seemed to be going well when pulled wide in the straight as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Hukum  was committed closer to the inside rail by Jim Crowley.

He could not sustain his challenge and his Ascot victim Westover briefly looked a player, only for Ace Impact to run him down in thrilling style.

“I’m like a very backward horse – I’m just maturing now,” joked Rouget, a titan of European training who won the Arc for the first time with Sottsass in 2020.

“I hope I have a few more good years in front of me. I started with jumpers and very bad flat horses, but Millkom was the first sign of a Classic horse in 1994 and then we won with Le Havre, Stacelita, and now we have a very strong stable.

“I thank my teams – in Pau and Deauville – as they put in a lot of work in a serious, serious way.”

Of Ace Impact, he added: “We always say they’re the best when a new horse comes along, but I think he’s got the strongest acceleration I’ve seen.”

Jockey Cristian Demuro celebrates. (Eclipse Sportswire)

The retiring Frankie Dettori, a winner of a record six Arcs, was riding in the famous race for the final time but could not find the dream farewell as he finished 13th on Free Wind.

After riding in the contest for a barely believable 34th time, Dettori said: “I got a lovely slot behind Westover whom I knew would take me there, but they quickened in the straight and left me there. I really enjoyed it and the Arc has been a great race for me. It’s been a good journey and I’m bowing out with a smile.

“This morning, I was sad, but now I’ve had some rides, I feel the adrenaline kicking in, but we’ll miss it for sure. It’s all been great. Six Arc wins – what can you say?

“I’ve ridden some great champions and 34 rides in the Arc is a record in itself.”

Westover’s trainer Ralph Beckett, unlike Dettori, has never won the Arc and, filled with pride, he said: “What a run. I’m delighted. Hukum came across and looked like he helped the pace along. At the top of the straight, I thought we were in business, but there was one better.

“I’ve nothing to add – he’s done it again. I always fancied the (Longines) Breeders’ Cup Turf for him as he enjoys his time away, as we saw in Dubai earlier in the year. That race is shaping up to be the best ever, but that’s life and I think we’ll probably go.”

Worth £2.52 million to the winner, the Arc was run on ground officially described as good to soft, but general consensus rated it much faster. Ace Impact finished 2,400 meters (about 1 ½ miles) in 2:25.50.

“It’s a lot quicker than ideal,” said Crowley after his ninth on Hukum. “We didn’t expect it to be so quick and, from stall 14, I had to use up a bit. I actually got a good position and was happy and got a breather into him, but he just couldn’t pick up on that quick ground.”–James Burn

Four other “Win and You’re In” qualifying races for Breeders’ Cup 2023 were held on Sunday at Longchamp. In the Prix de l’Opera Longines, Blue Rose Cen outfinished Coolmore’s Jackie Oh to prevail by a neck and secure an automatic berth to the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The Churchill filly improved her career record to eight wins in 12 starts for trainer Christopher Head, son of legendary trainer Freddie Head. Regular jockey Aurelian Lemaitre was aboard for the filly’s fourth Group 1 tally. In the final BC prep on the card, Highfield Princess won her first Group 1 race of 2023 by posting a one-length score in the Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp Longines, a Challenge Series qualifier for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. The French-bred Night of Thunder mare, trained by John Quinn, finished fourth in the Turf Sprint last year at age 5.

Two-year-olds Rosallion and Opera Singer won the Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and the Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac, respectively, to earn berths in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Rosallion powered clear to a length win in the Jean-Luc Lagardere for trainer Richard Hannon and jockey Sean Levey to win his third race in four career starts. Opera Singer, a Kentucky-bred daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, romped by five lengths in the Marcel Boussac for Coolmore connections, trainer Aidan O’Brien, and jockey Ryan Moore.