Erupt proves wise investment at Longchamp

Erupt was one of two horses supplemented for approximately $48,000 to Tuesday’s $666,840 Grand Prix de Paris for 3-year-old colts and fillies at Longchamp Racecourse. After Erupt extended his unbeaten streak to four races with a win in the Group 1 race, he was rated as a contender for a more lucrative race – the $5.5 million Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Oct. 4.

The Grand Prix de Paris is by far the most prestigious win of Erupt’s brief career. Owned by the Niarchos family, Erupt was ridden by Stephane Pasquier for trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.

A 6-1 shot in a field of six, Erupt won the Grand Prix de Paris by two lengths over the previously unbeaten Ampere, the 11-10 favorite, who raced in traffic in early stretch. Storm the Starts, second in the Irish Derby last month, finished third, beaten 3 1/4 lengths.

Erupt, by Dubawi, is out of the Group 3 stakes winner Mare Nostrum, who was third in the Group 1 Prix Vermeille at Longchamp in 2001.

After the Grand Prix de Paris, English and Irish bookmakers listed Erupt as low as 14-1 to win the Arc de Triomphe. Treve, who won the 2013 and 2014 runnings of the Arc, is the 2-1 favorite in the future-book for an unprecedented third win.

* Earlier on the Longchamp program, Walzertakt, the 31-1 longest shot in a field of six, scored an upset win in the Group 2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil at 1 3/4 miles on turf.

Ridden by Francisco Da Silva, Walzertakt edged 4-5 favorite Bathyron by a short head. Glaring, a 5-2 shot, was a short head behind Bathyron.

Walzertakt is a 6-year-old German-bred horse by Montjeu who had won two handicap-class races in Germany in 2014. He was third in a Group 3 at Hoppegarten, Germany, in May before his first stakes win on Tuesday.