O’Brien’s Lux in for Arc shot

LUXEMBOURG set himself up for a tilt at the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe in three weeks with a hugely encouraging win in the Group One Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.

He is now 6-1 joint favourite but Aidan O’Brien’s one-time Derby hope missed the summer with a muscle problem after finishing third in the 2,000 Guineas in May.

The Ryan Moore-ridden 7-2 shot, who beat Onesto half-alength, returned to action last month when narrowly winning the Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh.

O’Brien said: ‘The plan was three races if we could get him back: the Curragh; here and the Arc. We didn’t think we’d get him to the Curragh and had to push for it. There was 20-30 per cent improvement in him. He is obviously a very good horse. There is every chance he could be better at a mile and a half.

‘Ryan was very impressed with him and he is not an optimist by nature!’

Vadeni, who was sent off the 7-4 favourite, finished third after having to be dramatically switched from the outside to the inside rail by Christophe Soumillon and it affected the colt’s momentum.

O’Brien’s two-year-old Auguste Rodin strode away with the Group Two KPMG Champion Juvenile Stakes and is likely to shoot at a Group One target next, with the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and the Vertem Futurity Stakes at Doncaster under consideration.

Soumillon did have better luck on Jadoomi. The Ed and Simon Crisford-trained runner easily won the Group Two Clipper Logistics Boomerang Mile.