Rail Link, ridden by Stephane Pasquier, foiled the favourites to win a stellar race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp yesterday.

Second place, a neck away, went to the fast-finishing Pride, the mount of Christophe Lemaire, with Japanese raider Deep Impact in third half a length behind under jockey Yutaka Take after looking the most likely winner turning into the straight.

Rail Link, owned by Khalid Abdullah, is trained in France by Andre Fabre who saddled two other more fancied runners in the small but classy eight-strong field. Fabre, winning the Arc for the seventh time, said: "It's just part of the chain (winning the Arc again), but of course I'm delighted, I'm very proud and very proud for the horse."

In London betting, Rail Link was an 8-1 chance with Pride at 11-1 and Deep Impact the 9-4 favourite.

The fast-improving Rail Link was winning his fifth race in succession and flying the flag for the three-year-olds against the better-fancied older generation such as Deep Impact, Hurricane Run and Shirocco.

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