There was a thundershower in Paris about 1:30 P M on Thursday. The sun was back and the rest of the day felt and looked like a typical autumn day in the French capital. News came out of France-Galop that 17 horses have accepted to run in Sunday’s Qatar Arc de Triomphe. The leading fancy, the Aga Khan-owned Zarkava, continued to lead the market. Duke of Marmalade, trainer Aidan O’Brien’s multiple Group I winner, stood his ground. So did Soldier of Fortune, the Coronation Cup hero at Epsom Downs in June. Youmzain, Papal Bull, Getaway stayed in the reckoning. Kamsin, a German colt, was supplemented to Europe’s richest race at a cost of 100,000 euros.  Kamsin, a sophomore, has won the German Derby, Rhineland Pokal and the Grossier Preis Von Baden, all Group I events. Samsum, having a productive year, is the sire of Kamsin.

The going was called good at Longchamp on Thursday. Rain is in the forecast but the going is unlikely to change because the rainfall is going to be sporadic.  Longchamp is expected to offer a ‘good’ track to the Arc aspirants.

Duke of Marmalade has the highest rating of 127. Papal Bull has 126. Zarkava and Youmzain are at 124. Soldier of Fortune’s rating is 123. Vision d’Etat, an unbeaten colt and victorious in Chantilly’s French Derby in early June, Getaway and Kamsin share a rating of 121.

Look Here was not supplemented. Her trainer Ralph Beckett reported that his filly had an unsatisfactory blood test. Look Here won the Epsom Oaks in June.

It is a veritable feast of Group I races at Longchamp over the weekend.  Newmarket in England has a meeting replete with Grade I races. It is Europe’s biggest weekend of racing.

In America, Keeneland opens on Friday. It is the first day of the autumn season. There are two Grade I races. Mani Bhavan seeks four in row in the Alcibiades, a 1700-metre race on the synthetic surface for freshman girls. Mani Bhavan comes off a win in Saratoga’s Spinaway Stakes and races on the synthetic surface for the first time.

Precious Kitten is the 2-1 morning line choice in the First Lady Stakes, a 1600-metre turf test for distaffers. Eight run. Precious Kitten was a disappointment in Arlington’s Beverly D in early August. She seeks to rebound. Dreaming Of Anna, the winner of the BC Juvenile Filly Mile in 2006, is the 3-1 second choice.

The Group I Cheveley Park Stud Stakes, a 1200-metre race for freshman girls, is the feature at Newmarket on Friday. Serious Attitude, a Mtoto filly, goes for three in a row. The Rae Guest filly will be ridden by Jimmy Fortune. Serious Attitude won her debut by five lengths at Windsor. Second time out, the Mtoto filly was a three-length winner at Salisbury on September 4.

The other high profile race at Newmarket is the Shadwell Middle Park Stakes. This Group I 1200-metre sprint is confined to freshman entire colts. Bushranger, John Murtagh up, is the public choice. Bushranger beat Gallagher by one half length in Deauville’s Prix Morny and the two colts renew their rivalry in the Middle Park Stakes

Jimmy Fortune has picked up the mount on Papal Bull in the Arc on Sunday. Fortune got a 10-day ban at Nottingham on Wednesday. The ban may prevent him from riding Rainbow View in the Breeders’ Cup. However, jockey Fortune will be doing something unique this weekend. He will ride in three countries in three days. After riding at Newmarket, Fortune heads to Toronto to be aboard Lucarno in the Canadian International on Saturday at Woodbine. From Toronto, he flies to Paris to ride Papal Bull and another horse in Sunday’s Arc card at Longchamp.

Frankie Dettori will also be where Fortune will be at on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Dettori will be riding Doctor Dino at Woodbine on Saturday. Oliver Peslier, Doctor Dino’s regular rider, will be busy at Longchamp on Saturday and Sunday. Dettori has been asked to ride Church Service in the BC marathon at Santa Anita. Trainer Mike Mitchell has approached Dettori but the Italian star has not made a commitment. He may ride Sixties Icon, a winner at Ascot last Sunday, or a Godolphin runner.

Woodbine’s International has attracted Champs Elysees, recent winner of Woodbine’s Northern Dancer, who will have the riding services of Garrett Gomez. Quijano, the German invader, makes his second successive appearance.

Woodbine, in addition to the International, has the Grade I E P Taylor Stakes. Then there is the $500,000 Nearctic. The $300,000 Summer Stakes for two year olds completes the stakes lineup. All the races are ‘you win and you’re in’ events. Winners get berths in the BC races. 

 St Pancras (Kings Cross) station where I boarded the Eurostar, is a state of the art facility. It is passenger-friendly. The check in and security procedures are seamless. The announcements are clear. There are TV monitors everywhere. The journey took marginally longer than usual because of the fire recently. Service is coming back to normal.

There was sad news from Chicago. John Brown, chart caller and writer for the Daily Racing Form, passed away early Thursday morning in an Arlington Heights hospital. John was one of the best race callers. I learnt a lot from him. I read his stories with tremendous enthusiasm. John retired about 10 years ago.  John Brown, 73, had a history of heart trouble. I am saddened.