Fabre following tested Longchamp path to Arc for Meandre

Meandre is returning for a second crack at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe this year and his chances must be boosted by the path that he will tread en route to Longchamp.

Fabre is the most celebrated trainer in Arc history with seven previous successes and it is 12/1 that Meandre provides an eighth victory.

Meandre took sixth in the race last year, but notably he was the first of three year-old colts past the post.

Fabre is of the opinion that the horse would improve for being a year older this season and his three runs have suggested that this is the case.

Meandre shook off any off-season rust when second over an inadequate 1m2f on his seasonal reappearance, but has since won two Group One contests over the Arc trip of 1m4f.

One of these was also a highly comfortable triumph over Shareta, who was second in the Arc last year behind Danedream and was a recent victor at York.

Fabre has now mapped out the remainder of Meandre’s route back to the Arc, with his one preparation run coming on Longchamp trials day in the Prix Foy.

This was the race that Subotica also won before the Arc, who is the only other four-year-old that Fabre has trained to victory in Europe’s top middle distance encounter.

Meanwhile, all of Fabre’s Arc victors have run in one of the races at the Longchamp trials as a final tune-up.

Fabre is certainly due another Arc winner, as previously there has not been more than a five-year break between two of his winners.

However, he has not tasted success since Rail Link in 2006.

Camelot currently heads the Arc betting at 5/2, with Danedream 11/2 to become the first horse since Alleged in the 1970s to secure back-to-back victories.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.