1.
GV Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, ZOOM OUT TO Longchamps race-course
0.10

2.
SV President Valery Giscard d'Estaing and wife, with others walking into race-course enclosure
0.21

3.
GV & SV People placing bets (2 shots)
0.27

4.
GV Horses and riders in parade ring
0.38

5.
LV Horses coming out onto course
0.45

6.
GV 'Alleged', ridden by Lester Piggott, and other horses onto field
0.53

7.
SV Giscard d'Estaing watching
0.56

8.
GV Start of race and race in progress
1.20

9.
GV & TV Horses down final straight and Alleged first past finishing post (2 shots)
1.47

10.
CU Results board
1.52

11.
GV Alleged and Piggott surrounded by newsmen
2.00



Initials BB/1940


SPORT: HORSERACING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Millionaire British racehorse owner, Robert Sangster is planning to give his colt 'Alleged' a long rest after it won the French Arc de Triomphe on Sunday (2 October). Speaking after the Irish-bred three-year old was ridden to a quarter-of-a-million dollar (430,00 sterling) victory in Europe's richest horse-race by British jockey Lester Piggott, Mr. Sangster simply said: 'He deserves it'.

SYNOPSIS: The race, at the Longchamps course in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, is worth a total of half a million dollars (870,000 sterling) in prize money. It's also a major social occasion, and French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing and his wife joined several thousand others for the meeting.

Alleged started favourite to win at four-to-one, with four-year old New Zealand champion Balmerino, now trained in England, second favourite at tens. At it happened the betting reflected the results -- with Balmerino coming in with a late burst to finish second a length and a half behind Alleged. French-owned Crystal Palace, fourth in the betting lists, came in third.

Alleged, wearing number 20, became the first Irish-trained horse to win the Arc de Triomphe in eight years, and the fifth foreign horse in nine years.

The colt took the lead after about five furlongs (1,200 metres) of the mile-and-a-half race (2,400 metres) as the field emerged from behind the wood at the beginning of Longchamps' long bed. Two of his main challengers were second-placed Crystal Palace, and Crow, the winner of last year's Arc de Triomphe, who eventually finished fifth.

With two furlongs (480 metres) to go, Alleged increased his lead to two lengths. It was then that Balmerino, famous for his finishing bursts over almost any distance, put on a spurt to push Crystal Palace back into third place -- but not enough to take Alleged. And that's how they finished -- Alleged, Balmerino, Crystal Palace, Queen Elizabeth's Dunfermline, and Crow.

But while owner Sangster wants to give Alleged his rest, Irish trainer Vincent O'Brien wants him to run in the forthcoming Washington D.C. International.