Fantastic Moon’s Arc bid hinges on suitable ground

Connections will wait until the eleventh hour to give Fantastic Moon’s bid for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe the go-ahead.

The four-year-old, who is trained by Sarah Steinberg, is Germany’s leading racehorse with six Group titles to his name for owners Liberty Racing.

Those include successes in the German Derby and the Prix Niel last year, the former seeing him emulate his sire, Sea The Moon, and the latter lining up a bid for the 2023 renewal of the Arc.

Twelve months ago the ground at ParisLongchamp was good to soft, conditions a little too testing for the bay colt to be seen at his best as he finished 11th in a field of 15.

He has returned this season in good form, however, winning a Group Two at Cologne before missing out on the Group One Grosser Dallmayr-Preis by a length at Munich.

After winning the Grosser Preis von Baden on his next start the Arc came into focus again for Fantastic Moon, but with a wet start to the autumn his participation is not guaranteed unless the ground dries out ahead of Sunday.

“At this moment it is 50-50, we will wait for the ground on Sunday morning,” said Liberty Racing’s Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten.

“We hope for for 3.5 on the French going stick, more than 3.6 is not good for him to bring his A-game so if the ground is more than 3.6, we will not run.

“We will decide on Sunday morning, if we get rain on Sunday we will wait to decide, perhaps after the first race or the second race.

“We will wait a very, very long time to decide because it’s a very good Arc, we have a great horse in the race and we need fair ground for him.

“It is possible because we have sun Friday and Saturday as well, if we do not get rain it is possible, I think 50-50.

“If not we will go to the Breeders’ Cup Turf, that’s our plan B.”