Dermot Weld's dual G1 Derby winner Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) booked his ticket for the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly on Sunday with an impressive gallop on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately for Weld and Frankie Dettori, though, stablemate Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) finds the race coming too soon and will instead be kept back in an attempt to win a second G1 QIPCO Champion S. at Ascot. Harzand's participation had been placed in some doubt when he was struck into during the G1 Irish Champion S. three weeks ago, just his second defeat in six races. But just as he had shown after the G1 Investec Derby, his powers of recuperation are exemplary and Harzand heads to France reportedly at the top of his game.
All big-race jockey Pat Smullen is hoping for, however, is a favourable draw, after the Weld-trained Famous Name (GB) (Dansili {GB}) was narrowly denied in the G1 French Derby from stall 17 at Chantilly in 2008.
“Harzand's in tremendous form, I'm really happy with him,” Smullen told At The Races. “I rode him [Tuesday morning] and he felt well, it's all systems go. It looks like the ground is going to be on the quick side but you never know, they might get a drop of rain between now and raceday. The draw did for Famous Name in the Jockey Club, so hopefully we'll get somewhere in the middle. Hopefully it's not an over-big field, you don't want to be out on the wing.”
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