Racing: Eddery travels with Intrepidity

PAT EDDERY will ride Intrepidity in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday week as he attempts to become the most successful jockey in the history of the race.

Eddery dominated the event in the 1980s, winning on Detroit, Rainbow Quest, Dancing Brave and Trempolino, to join Freddie Head and Yves St Martin as four- time victors. A fifth success is his outstanding ambition after 25 years in the saddle.

The Irishman is free to ride Sheikh Mohammed's Intrepidity, an inmate at Andre Fabre's Chantilly yard, because his retaining owner, Khalid Abdullah, is without a runner in the race for the first time in six years. The Saudi Arabian prince provided Eddery with his 1985 and 1986 winners, Rainbow Quest and Dancing Brave, but has had a relatively quiet season. (Yesterday it was announced that his promising filly Rainfest would be out for the rest of the season and may even be retired).

'Pat had been asked to ride Intrepidity and we have been waiting to find out whether he would be free,' Terry Ellis, the jockey's brother-in-law and agent, said yesterday. 'Prince Khalid's Sunshack is going to run in Canada instead, so we have confirmed the ride on Intrepidity today.

'Pat hasn't ridden the filly, but he has been impressed by her and is looking forward to the ride. She was a very good filly last year and was unlucky in the Arc (when a fast-finishing fourth).'

The arrangement prompted William Hill to cut Intrepidity to 9-1, while Carnegie and Millkom were also reduced. Among those going in the other direction were the favourite, White Muzzle (7-2 from 3-1) and Richard Of York (12-1 from 10-1).

A piece of work on the Lambourn gallops this morning is likely to determine whether Intrepidity is joined in Paris by Broadway Flyer, the St Leger runner-up. 'The horse is in good shape and has come out of the Leger very well,' James Unett, assistant to the colt's trainer John Hills, said yesterday. 'He will have a good gallop tomorrow and Michael (Hills, his regular jockey) might come down and give the horse a spin on Saturday.' Broadway Flyer is a 33-1 chance with William Hill.

The significant market move yesterday for the Melbourne Cup on 1 November concerned Jeune, the winner of the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot last year for Geoff Wragg. The five-year- old, who is now in Australia with David Hayes, captured the Underwood Stakes for his new trainer on Saturday and has been cut from 16-1 to 7-1 second favourite for the Cup with Coral. Last year's winner, Vintage Crop, was sliding through the scales again yesterday and is now 13-2 favourite from 8-1 in the wake of his victory in the Irish St Leger on Saturday.

PRIX DE L'ARC DE TRIOMPHE (Longchamp, 2 October): William Hill: 7-2 White Muzzle (from 3-1), 5-1 Only Royale, 9-1 Intrepidity (from 10-1), 10-1 King's Theatre, 12-1 Carnegie (from 14-1), Hernando, Millkom (from 14-1), Richard Of York (from 10-1), 16-1 Apple Tree, Celtic Arms & Ezzoud, 20-1 Bright Moon, 25-1 Marildo & Sierra Madre, 33-1 Bobzao, Broadway Flyer & Petit Loup.

MELBOURNE CUP (Flemington, 1 November): Coral: 13-2 Vintage Crop (from 8-1), 7-1 Jeune (from 16-1), 10-1 Mahogany, 12-1 Gossips, 16-1 Quick Ransom, Tawlord, Zeander Cross, 20-1 others.