While anticipation surrounding the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe builds, we've asked ChatGPT to predict the outcome of Europe's premier middle distance contest.
Taking into account factors such as the draw, ground, recent form, breeding, jockey and trainer ChatGPT has provided a 1-2-3 for the Longchamp feature, even naming a British contender as one that it is wary of leaving out...
ChatGPT's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe prediction
1st: Daryz
Taking home the Arc for the second year running, ChatGPT has Francis-Henri Graffard's star colt Daryz passing the post in first.
The four-year-old has excellent course form -- winning seven of his eight starts at the Paris venue -- and trainer Graffard has been making extremely positive noises regarding his recent work.
ChatGPT said: "The draw has certainly helped Daryz: stall five is ideal, and he comes into the race as last year's winner after a convincing Prix Foy victory. He was shortened to around 13/8 after the draw."
2nd: Kalpana
Chasing Daryz home is UK contender Kalpana. She registered the biggest success of her career when storming to victory in the King George earlier in the summer and added another Group 1, the Yorkshire Oaks, to her CV just one month later.
She finished seventh in this very race last year and is back for revenge.
ChatGPT said: "Kalpana is the one I think can give him [Daryz] most to think about. Stall six is particularly interesting historically, and she's already shown she has the class for this level."
3rd: Thundering On
Rounding off the 1-2-3 is Joseph O'Brien's runaway Oaks winner Thundering On.
Three-year-old fillies get a huge weight advantage in races like this and she proved that she is right out of the top drawer when landing the Epsom Classic back in June. There are slight questions around her liking to fast ground, however, connections seem to think that she will handle it just fine.
ChatGPT said: "For third, I'm siding with Thundering On. Stall three is a major positive, and the market move to around 8/1 after the draw catches my eye.
Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe latest odds
(Odds will display when market is available)
Although ChatGPT was clear about the 1-2-3 shortlist, there was a nod to another runner that it didn't want to discount from a potential win.
William Haggas has previous with the Arc -- saddling narrow runner-up Sea The Class in 2018 -- and is back to avenge that near-miss with Maltese Cross on Sunday.
A son of 2009 Arc winner Sea The Stars, he has Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe blood flowing through his veins and was extremely impressive when landing the Great Voltigeur at York on his last start.
ChatGPT said: "The other one I'd be wary of leaving out completely is Maltese Cross - he has stall 11 rather than the favourable low draw of my three, but he's prominent in the market and has obvious claims.
"One caveat is the ground: current forecasts point towards conditions no worse than good and potentially good-to-firm, which could materially affect how some of these horses perform."
Any odds displayed were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.
