Michael Kinane had no hesitation in labelling Montjeu as the best mile and a half horse he has ever ridden after the John Hammond-trained colt stamped his class all over the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp yesterday.
Greatness is a much abused word in racing parlance, but Montjeu exuded that quality in abundance by showing impressive acceleration to pick up El Condor Pasa on testing ground.
Kinane, successful 10 years earlier on Carroll House, must have feared a repeat of his 1998 nightmare on High-Rise, early in the straight.
As Montjeu found himself in tight quarters whereas the front running Japanese star, El Condor Pasa, was still full of running and starting to draw away.
However, a gap opened between Tiger Hill and Leggera, and Montjeu, clearly in a mood to relish a scrap, started to eat away at El Condor Pasa's four lengths lead.
Montjeu reeled El Condor Pasa inside the final furlong to score a famous half length victory. It was six lengths back to the third, Croco Rouge.
Kinane said: "He is the best horse I have ridden over a mile and a half. He has the acceleration of a miler!"
Montjeu provided the Kentborn but Chantilly-based trainer Hammond with his second Arc success following the 1991 triumph of Suave Dancer.
He said: "It was a wonderful thrill. We were worried about the testing ground and I thought that was it once the Japanese horse went clear. So it was a magnificent effort to get to him. `'
Michael Tabor, who owns Montjeu (6 to 4) in partnership, revealed that the the colt will stay in training as a four-year-old. "He has given me a big a thrill as any in racing, and I believe that he can become even better. He must be worth $20 million," he said.
The Japanese, gracious in defeat, acknowledged that it had taken a rather special horse to peg back El Condor Pasa.
Sheikh Mohammed's sporting decision to allow Daylami to run, despite fears about the ground, failed to pay off as the grey trailed in ninth.
Earlier, the gathering strength of the Japanese on the international stage was again illustrated by the short neck victory of Agnes World in the Group One Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp. Tommy Stack's Antinnaz fared best of the Irish trio in fifth.
Richard Gibson, another English-born trainer based at Chantilly, hit the Group One jackpot at the first attempt with Lady Chad in the Prix Marcel Boussac.
The victories of Ian Balding's Trans Island (Prix du Rond Point) and Diamond White (Prix de l'Opera) ensured that the British didn't leave empty handed. Jim Bolger's Dazzling Park was sixth in the latter race.
Michael Grassick's San Sebastian ran a blinder in the Group One Prix du Cadran at Longchamp on Saturday by running Tajoun to a neck.
John Oxx saddled Strategic to finish a good second in the Prix Dollar. However, the stable's Edabiya was a disappointing fourth in the Prix Hubert de Chaudenay.
