O’BRIEN’S ARC PLAN

ST LEGER hero Kew Gardens is set to head a three-pronged attack by Aidan O’Brien in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp on Sunday.

The three-year-old colt scored his Classic triumph at Doncaster after a stellar season that has included victories in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot and the Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc course and distance in July.

Kew Gardens will be joined by Hunting Horn and last year’s Irish Derby winner Capri in the prestigious mile and an half feature.

O’Brien said: “The plan is that we are going towards the Arc with him. There is a forfeit stage in the morning and he’s going to be left in. At the moment that’s what we are looking at doing.

“Hunting Horn is going to be left in and Capri as well.

“Magical is one we’re not sure about. If she isn’t left in, she’ll go to the Opera instead.”

Looking further ahead, O’Brien is expecting more progress from Breeders’ Cup Classic contender Mendelssohn, who finished third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park on Saturday night.

Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner was competing in his fourth dirt race in the States this season and was only beaten two lengths in third place behind Discreet Lover, after helping to set a very strong pace up front.

“We’re delighted, over the moon really,” said O’Brien.

“There was plenty of pace on – there are no slow-run races over there. In that part of the world, they don’t go slow.”

O’Brien followed up his big-race treble at Newmarket on Saturday with four winners at Naas yesterday, including a 1-2 in the Beresford Stakes.

The Ballydoyle trainer took the first three races on the card, with Magna Grecia looking a smart prospect in winning his maiden, Hermosa taking the Weld Park

Stakes and Cypress Creek lifting in the Loughbrown Stakes. All three were ridden by Ryan Moore.

Moore was beaten, however, in the big race of the day, the Beresford, when touched off on 11-8 favourite Mount Everest, by stablemate Japan, ridden by Seamie Heffernan. It was O’Brien 18th success overall in the Group Two feature and eighth in succession.

Mount Everest looked the likely winner when taking over from Sovereign, O’Brien’s third runner in the mile event, but Japan responded well under Heffernan and hit the front in the final strides to win by a short head. O’Brien said of Japan: “He’s a big, hardy horse, so he could be the type for what was the Racing Post (Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster).

“The second did nothing wrong and ran a lovely race, too. The experience will really do them good.”