Aidan O'Brien looks set to saddle Los Angeles (Camelot) and Minnie Hauk (Frankel) in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, with the latter expected to be supplemented later this week to join the current cast of 17 contenders for Europe's richest race.
Minnie Hauk has enjoyed a faultless campaign so far and will make her first trip to France following three consecutive Group 1 wins in the Oaks at Epsom, Irish Oaks at the Curragh and Yorkshire Oaks at York.
Coral make her the 4/1 joint-favourite alongside last year's Arc runner-up Aventure (Sea The Stars), with Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black) next in the list at 8/1 to provide Japan with an elusive first success in the race.
Speaking at the weekend, O'Brien said, “Everything has gone well with them since their last runs. Christophe [Soumillon] rode Minnie Hauk during the week and he was very happy.”
Los Angeles was beaten less than three lengths when finishing third in last year's Arc and O'Brien is confident that the four-year-old is returning to his best as he seeks a first victory since winning May's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
“Los Angeles has made great improvement since his last run and, if the ground gets soft, it would bring him right into it – he's a big powerhouse,” O'Brien told Racing TV.
“The Arc was his plan all year. It went a little bit wrong at Ascot and he had a hard race. We had to back away and because of that he was a little bit behind for his first run back at the Curragh. But we felt he came forward well from there to France the last day [when finishing fourth in Prix Foy]. We felt he was going to move on again, so hopefully this run will be better than his last run. His work has been very nice.”
Other potential challengers from Ireland include Jessica Harrington's Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot) and John Murphy's White Birch (Ulysses), while the three remaining British-trained contenders following Monday's forfeit stage are Marco Botti's Giavellotto (Mastercraftsman), the David O'Meara-trained Estrange (Night Of Thunder) and Kalpana (Study Of Man) from Andrew Balding's yard.
Croix Du Nord is one of three Japanese hopefuls, together with Alohi Alii (Duramente) and Byzantine Dream (Epiphaneia), while Christophe Ferland's Aventure is joined on the home team by significant runners for each of Andre Fabre and Francis-Henri Graffard. Fabre is set to saddle both Cualificar (Lope De Vega) and Sosie (Sea The Stars) as he seeks a record-extending ninth win in the Arc, while Daryz (Sea The Stars), Gezora (Almanzor) and Quisisana (Le Havre) make up the potential challenge from the Graffard stable.
Finally, Jean-Claude Rouget is also set to be double-handed in 2025, having won two of the last five editions, with his Arrow Eagle (Gleneagles) and Leffard (Le Havre) completing the list of possible contenders.
Maxime Guyon to Continue Aventure Association
In addition, Maxime Guyon was confirmed on Monday as the intended rider of Aventure, in preference to multiple Group 1 winner Sosie, who finished fourth last year when partnered by the four-time champion jockey in France, with Stephane Pasquier deputising on the runner-up.
As number one jockey to Wertheimer et Frere, Guyon again had the choice between the operation's two homebreds on Sunday, with Aventure earning the vote of confidence on this occasion following an impressive victory in the Prix Vermeille last time.
“Last year he [Guyon] rode Sosie, but he knows the filly very well and last year my filly finished second, so it's up to him to better that this year!” said Ferland.
“It was very important to win a Group 1 race [in the Prix Vermeille] – we were waiting for a Group 1 success for this filly. She didn't have easy Group 1s in the past, as a three-year-old and through this year.
“She was running against older horses and last year she came up against Bluestocking, who beat her in the Qatar Prix Vermeille and then also in the Arc. This year we came up against Calandagan, so it was great to get the Group 1 at a time in the season when we still have other targets.”
Ferland added, “She's in good form and we haven't had any issues. We are preparing now for the Arc with a lot of serenity and calmness. Last year I felt more pressure. It was more difficult because she was a three-year-old and she was running against the older horses.
“The Arc is a very important race and is very much in the minds of everyone. I could have run in the Prix de l'Opera. I'm not saying that it would have been easier, but it wouldn't get as much attention as the Arc and this year I'm quite calm.”
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