Almanzor withdrawn from Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

Irish Champion Stakes winner Almanzor has been pulled out of Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly.

It was widely expected that Jean-Claude Rouget’s charge would skip the big weekend showdown although he had been left in at Tuesday’s first forfeit stage before it was confirmed he would not be running on Wednesday.

Rouget has made it clear Ascot’s QIPCO Champion Stakes was his preferred choice ahead of the Chantilly race and Almanzor is now expected to be prepared for that outing on October 15.

The Juliet Rose has also been withdraw on Wednesday, leaving a total of 17 horses still on the list ahead of Thursday’s declaration stage.

Postponed heads the ante-post betting for Sunday’s race, while the likes of Makahiki, Found and Harzand are considered lively contenders.