O’Brien says Gstaad in 'better place than he’s ever been' ahead of Prix du Moulin

Gstaad and Pa Murphy pictured for Irish Champions Weekend Media Morning with trainer Aidan O'Brien. Pic: Healy Racing

Aidan O’Brien feels Gstaad is bigger and better than ever ahead of his latest Group One assignment in Sunday’s Prix du Moulin at ParisLongchamp.

While the Starspangledbanner colt enjoyed a day in the sun when winning the Irish 2,000 Guineas, he has spent the rest of his season playing second fiddle to Bow Echo, filling the runner-up spot behind George Boughey’s unbeaten star in the Guineas at Newmarket, the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Sussex at Goodwood.

With a subsequent injury sending Bow Echo into an early retirement, Gstaad is favourite to get back on the winning trail in Paris this weekend.

“We’re very happy with him, his work has really progressed and physically he’s got stronger,” said O’Brien.

“We think he’s in a way better place than he’s ever been this year and we thought that could happen because he’s a big, rangy horse who would get stronger as the year went on.

“We were hoping Bow Echo would be there again because we felt come that time of year, the pendulum could swing to our advantage. Everything looks very good at the moment.” Gstaad is likely to be heading further afield later in the year, with a trip to Keeneland in November very much on the agenda.

“I’d imagine we’ll look at the Breeders’ Cup Mile,” O’Brien added.

“We had the option of going to Australia for the Cox Plate, but at the moment it looks like it will be the Moulin, whether he’ll go to the Ascot race (QEII) I don’t know and then go on to the Breeders’ Cup.” Gstaad is joined by his supplemented stablemate Dorset, who can be expected to be deployed in a pacesetting role, while British hopes are carried by the Ed Walker-trained Ten Bob Tony and Charlie Appleby’s Opera Ballo.

Ten Bob Tony was just ahead of Opera Ballo when claiming a shock victory in the Queen Anne at Royal Ascot, but Opera Ballo turned the tables when the pair finished third and fourth in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.

Appleby told the Godolphin website: “Opera Ballo heads to France in great order. He is better off at the weights with Gstaad compared to the Sussex Stakes, and this could potentially be another tactical race. He is right up with the best in the field and we are hopeful he can be very competitive again.” The home team is headed by Francis-Henri Graffard’s Erdenali, who won his first three starts before suffering an unlucky defeat in the Group Three Prix Messidor at Chantilly in mid-July after encountering traffic problems.

Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for the Aga Khan Studs, said: “We had several horses entered in this race, including Rayif, but we decided to give him some time after his victory in the Prix Jacques le Marois, and also to give Erdenali his chance.

“Last time, in the Prix Messidor, he was really unlucky and should have won. After discussing it, we decided we would take our chance in this Group One rather than run in another Group race.

“We will really find out where he stands at this level in such a high-quality field and, above all, it will help us decide what comes next.”