Europe’s leading stayer Scandinavia could face defending champion Caballo De Mar in Saturday’s Group 1 Qatar Prix du Cadran (4000m) at ParisLongchamp, with the marathon shaping as a major attraction on the opening day of Arc weekend.
Both feature among the 11 horses currently listed for the race on Saturday, October 3, alongside Queenstown, Double Major and French Master. Scandinavia heads the betting, although ground conditions remain important to his participation.
A superb season has established Scandinavia as the horse to beat in the staying division.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old proved his stamina with victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and arrives following another Group 1 success in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on September 13.
That latest victory extended his winning sequence to eight, underlining the consistency that has accompanied his rise to the top. He defeated stablemate Queenstown, with Jan Brueghel completing a Ballydoyle sweep of the placings.
The British Champions Long Distance Cup had been his expected next target, but suitable ground could bring him to Paris instead.
Connections have indicated that a significant deterioration in conditions would make the Cadran less appealing. If he takes his chance, the return to 4000m gives him an opportunity to reproduce the stamina that carried him to Gold Cup glory.
The strongest challenge outside Ballydoyle could come from Caballo De Mar, who returns to defend the title he won last autumn.
The George Scott-trained five-year-old has already demonstrated his effectiveness at ParisLongchamp, adding the Group 1 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier earlier this season to his 2025 Cadran success. Those victories give him a strong course record to bring into Saturday’s contest.
His campaign has included setbacks, but he returned to winning form in the Doncaster Cup on September 11.
Fitted with blinkers and a tongue-tie, Caballo De Mar travelled strongly under Oisin Murphy before defeating Beylerbeyi by just over a length. The performance restored momentum after disappointing efforts at Royal Ascot and York, setting him up for another attempt at the Cadran.
Stablemate Queenstown provides O’Brien with another serious contender.
The six-year-old finished third in last year’s Cadran and was runner-up to Scandinavia in the recent Irish St Leger. He brings experience of the distance and arrives with encouraging form following a winning seasonal return at the Curragh in August.
Queenstown had initially been earmarked as Ballydoyle’s main representative in Paris and remains an important part of the challenge regardless of whether Scandinavia lines up.
Among the French contenders, Double Major comes into the race after finishing second to Odemar in the Group 3 Prix Gladiateur (3100m) at ParisLongchamp on September 10.
The Christophe Ferland-trained six-year-old finished strongly that day, offering encouragement ahead of the longer test. Saturday will demand another step forward against the leading visitors.
French Master, trained by John and Thady Gosden, also remains in the current line-up, while Willie Mullins has Mr Hollywood engaged.
The other listed contenders are Wintertraum, Waldadler, Anspruch, Emmeci and Sheema’s Rose, giving the race an international field for one of the toughest assignments of the weekend.
For Scandinavia, the Cadran offers another opportunity to strengthen his standing as the season’s outstanding stayer. For Caballo De Mar, it is a return to the course where he has delivered two of his biggest victories and a chance to remind the new champion that this is familiar territory.
By Scott Bailey
