Just A Way
The 2013 winner Treve returned and attracted some support, despite having been beaten in all three of her races in 2014. The most fancied of the French runners were the three-year-olds Ectot, winner of the Prix Niel and the unbeaten filly Avenir Certain winner of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and the Prix de Diane. The other French contenders included Flintshire (2013 Grand Prix de Paris), Dolniya (Prix de Malleret), Prince of Gibraltar (2013 Critérium de Saint-Cloud) and Spiritjim (disqualified after winning the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud). There were three runners from Japan, headed by the Dubai Duty Free winner Just A Way who was moving up in distance. The other Japanese runners were the multiple Grade I winner Gold Ship and the filly Harp Star who had won the Oka Sho and recorded an upset win over Gold Ship at Sapporo in August. Britain was represented by Taghrooda, a three-year-old filly who had won the Epsom Oaks and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, the St Leger winner Kingston Hill and the six-year-old Al Kazeem, winner of the 2013 Eclipse Stakes who had been returned to racing after an unsuccessful spell at stud. There were three runners from Ireland, all from the Ballydoyle stable: Ruler of the World who had won the 2013 Epsom Derby and returned to form with a win in the Prix Foy, Tapestry who had recorded an upset win over Taghrooda in the Yorkshire Oaks and Chicquita, winner of the Irish Oaks in 2013. Germany was represented by the four-year-old Ivanhowe, who had defeated Sea The Moon (who had been ante-post favourite for the Arc) in the Grosser Preis von Baden. Taghrooda was sent off the 5.5/1 favourite, ahead of Avenir Certain (6/1), Ectot (6.7/1), Harp Star (6.9/1), and Just A Way (8/1) with Treve starting at odds of 14.4/1.