10/04/2012 - Despite strong support for the 2000 Guineas and Derby winner, Camelot (7/2), Japanese star, Orfevre, remains clear favourite on Betfair as the countdown well and truly begins to Sunday’s Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

However, the contest appears somewhat weakened by the high profile withdrawals of last year’s winner Danedream, and the tremendously popular British-trained pair of Nathaniel and Snow Fairy, writes Elliot Slater.

There’s no doubt that a little of the gloss had appeared to have gone out of the race, with the highly regarded trio all standing down – Snow Fairy and Nathaniel due to niggling injuries, while poor old Danedream has to be confined to barracks after an equine infection broke out at her training centre in Cologne.

The news that Camelot, (who so narrowly failed to win the Triple Crown at Doncaster last month when runner-up to Encke in the St Leger), will be taking his chance, means that Orfevre and other star names will have an extra dimension to consider in the race.

Orefvere is certainly a high-class performer having won the Japanese Triple Crown last season, and at a top price of 3/1 stands as market leader for Europe’s most prestigious middle distance all-age contest.

The Far Eastern racing nation has proven time and again in recent years that they are capable of proving very competitive at the highest level and Orfevre did everything asked of him in his Arc trial when winning the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foy at Longchamp recently, beating the smart yardstick Meandre by a length.

Although he failed to stun most observers, there is little doubt that his shrewd handler, Yasutoshi Ikee, left a little bit to work on and he should strip fully race fit for the big event on October 7 as he bids to lift the Prix De l'Arc de Triomphe for the first time for the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’.