Look De Vega team confident French Derby winner will be much improved in Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

The colt, who is trained by Carlos and Yann Lerner, now runs in the silks of Al Shaqab Racing and is still lightly raced having only taken to the track four times to date.

His debut at Fontainebleau last November was a heavy hint at the ability he possessed as he won by a facile seven lengths on his only run as a juvenile.

He returned this season to get his campaign underway with success in a minor race at ParisLongchamp, after which he stepped steeply up in grade to land the French Derby, the Prix du Jockey Club, by two lengths in June.

With an unbeaten record he was then well backed to strike again in the Prix Niel over the Arc course and distance, but in a field of five he could only finish third when three and a half lengths behind fellow Arc contender Sosie.

Co-trainer Yann Lerner felt the horse was not at the height of his powers, however, and expects him to come forward again when returning to ParisLongchamp at the weekend.

“After the Jockey Club the horse had a break, we gave him three weeks off and then slowly started to bring him back for the second half of the season,” he said.

“During his break he put on quite a bit of weight and he had lost some of it by the time he went into the Prix Niel but he was still quite far away from his usual weight.

“Since the Prix Niel that weight has dropped and his last work showed that he is back to his weight that he was before.”

Of the Prix Niel loss, he added: “You have to deal with it, don’t you? The important thing is that we’re heading now to the Arc and in that race the way things unfolded for him was not really ideal.

“To be in front was not ideal, but the jockey really respected him and in retrospect he didn’t have a hard race.

“In hindsight I’m quite happy with how it went, it was like a proper work gallop and he has showed us since then that he has improved quite a bit since that last run.”

Look De Vega has been ridden by Ronan Thomas in all of his starts and the rider echoes Lerner’s sentiments that the Prix Niel run proved valuable despite the defeat.

“It was a prep race but we’re not going to lie to ourselves, we were disappointed because we would have loved to take the horse to the Arc with an unblemished record,” he said.

“The main thing is we learned a lot of things and that he has improved since that run.”

Bluestocking added to Arc field

Meanwhile, Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking has been supplemented for Sunday’s race.

It has cost her owners Juddmonte €120,000 to add the four-year-old to the field but after two Group One wins already this season, they felt it was a chance worth taking.

Bluestocking was a course and distance winner last time out in the Prix Vermeille, and finished second against the boys in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in August.

Her owners have already seen their famous pink, green and white silks carried to victory in the race by Rainbow Quest, Dancing Brave, Rail Link, Workforce and Enable twice meaning one more victory would take them clear of Marcel Boussac as the most successful owners in the race.

Beckett himself finished second with Westover in the Juddmonte colours 12 months ago.

A total of 18 remain in contention for Europe’s showpiece race with Aidan O’Brien taking out Opera Singer. She has also been removed from her other option in the Prix de l’Opera but Auguste Rodin still holds an Arc entry ahead of the final declaration stage on Thursday.

Juddmonte’s European racing manager Barry Mahon said: “It’s exciting and she is in good form. Ralph has had a good look at her this morning, she cantered and had all her tests done and he was very happy with her condition.

“We feel she is in good form and we’re very much looking forward to Sunday. It’s going to be a tough task, but she’s a filly who runs her race every time and hopefully she will do so again on Sunday.”

A total of 18 remain in contention for Europe’s showpiece race with Aidan O’Brien taking out Opera Singer. She has also been removed from her other option in the Prix de l’Opera but Auguste Rodin still holds an Arc entry ahead of the final declaration stage on Thursday.

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