Tapestry among a host of supplementary entries

Tapestry was officially added to the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe field on Thursday morning, meaning a field of 20 is anticipated for Sunday's showpiece at Longchamp.

Tapestry winning the Moyglare Stud Stakes (Fillies' Group 1) Picture: Pat Healy Photography

Although the Aidan O'Brien-trained three-year-old was the only supplementary entry for the big one, at a cost of €120,000, there were a number of trainers stumping up the euros to get involved on the Longchamp undercard.

Tapestry, who defeated Arc favourite Taghrooda at York's Ebor meeting, is rated a general 12-1 chance, with the filly she beat in the Yorkshire Oaks the 9-2 market leader.

Despite that reverse, Taghrooda's rider Paul Hanagan thinks she is a worthy favourite and expects her to bounce back to form.

Hanagan said: "I'm really excited and this is what it's all about. She won both the Oaks and King George well. She had a bit of a blip in the King George but she was just coming into season.

"It's going to be a very tough race with the calibre of horses there, like the Japanese, but I think she's got every right to go there as favourite. She's a big filly who rides like a colt and can hold her own."

Regarding Tapestry's addition, Hanagan said: "I think that was a good call. It was a lot of money but I think you have to go and she's a very good filly."

The Richard Hannon-trained Burnt Sugar is one of two colts to be supplemented for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, alongside French hopeful Citroen Spirit. The major absentee is Dutch Connection, with The Wow Signal, Gleneagles and Full Mast all still engaged in the Group 1.

Sabrina Harty has added recent Doncaster winner Ansgar to a probable field of 17 for the Prix de la Foret, while Al Shaqab have supplemented Andre Fabre's Prix d'Aumale winner Shahah for the Prix Marcel Boussac.

Longchamp officials are not planning on watering between now and the Arc, though temperatures in the French capital have reached the mid 20s celcius this week.

The ground is currently good with a dry forecast until Sunday, when racecourse director Christian Delporte is expecting "very little" rain. The temperatures are forecast to drop for Arc day itself.


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