Nineteen stand their ground for the Arc

Nineteen horses remain in Sunday’s five million euro Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp after Monday morning’s first forfeit stage, with last year’s winner Daryz still at the head of the list. Francis Graffard has three in, Daryz and the Prix Niel winner Varandir for the Aga Khan Studs and Sunly, who is expected instead to go to Saturday’s Prix Royallieu (Racing Post)

Aidan O’Brien cut eight entries to three, keeping Minnie Hauk, Diamond Necklace and Benvenuto Cellini and taking out Jan Brueghel, Hawk Mountain, Montreal, Pierre Bonnard and Constitution River. He said he does intend to run all three, that Ryan Moore has the choice, and that he would probably think Diamond Necklace is the pick without being sure. Christophe Ferland removed the 2024 runner up Aventure, whose target is the Prix de l’Opera on the same card (Racing Post, irishracing.com)

America

Keeneland September closed with a through the ring gross of 536,737,900 dollars for 2,856 horses, the highest figure recorded at any thoroughbred auction anywhere and 5.14 per cent above last year. The average rose 6.87 per cent to 187,933 dollars and the median 6.25 per cent to 85,000 dollars, both records, and 70 yearlings made a million dollars or more against a previous best of 56. The sale ran over 12 sessions from 14 to 26 September and was topped by a 3.7 million dollar Into Mischief colt bought by MV Magnier with Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm from the Glennwood Farm draft. Gun Runner led the sires with 57 yearlings for 43,672,000 dollars, and Shannon Arvin, Keeneland president and chief executive, said it is incredible to think they set a world record a year ago and have now surpassed it (Breednet)

Australasia

Blue Door secured an Everest slot by taking the Group 3 ATC Heritage Stakes over 1,100 metres for Bjorn Baker, the Stay Inside filly having now won twice and finished second twice in four starts for John Singleton. Newgate Farm and GPI Racing, who won the race in 2023 with Think About It, hold the slot she fills. She joins Ka Ying Rising, who runs for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Ninja for Fairway Thoroughbreds and Headwall in the 20 million dollar race at Randwick (Breednet)

Asia

Puro Magic could meet Ka Ying Rising in Hong Kong in December after Sunday’s Group 1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama, her first success at the top level at the sixth attempt. Masamichi Hashimoto, president of the owners Three H Racing, said that if they are able to go to Hong Kong they will probably go there, that given her age he imagines she will then head to the breeding shed, that the decision will be taken in consultation with the trainer, and that he just wants her to beat Ka Ying Rising for the first 800 metres. Ka Ying Rising has won 21 in a row, and David Hayes said that last year he came good about two days before his target and this year came good three weeks out, which makes him a different horse (Idol Horse)