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Aiglemont is bathed in sunshine, although heavy overnight rain has brought a reminder: the Arc encourages October's capricious nature.
The hopes of many a high class colt have been submerged by late deluges that turn the mile and four furlongs of French racing's most famous contours into a survival course. It is just one of the reasons why the Aga Khan, the owner-breeder of race favourite Dalakhani, will travel to Longchamp today with nerves unusually taut. 'It is a race which concerns me,' he says. 'It's been a difficult race, is a difficult race. It comes late in the season, often on very heavy going. Some of the best horses of the year are no longer in form. It's a race where you see a number of unexpected winners over time. I'm not knocking the race, far from it, but if it were two weeks earlier, it would be a different race.' But possibly not the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Just in case he has strayed too far into the realms of the businessman, he adds: 'Though sometimes we have dodged the Arc, my father and grandfather, to keep a horse for another climax, it is a wonderful race