Bay City Roller stepping into Daryz’s den to fine-tune Arc preparations

Having briefly flirted with the idea of lining up against Constitution Hill in Kempton’s September Stakes, George Scott is returning to “Plan A”, as Bay City Roller steps into Daryz’s den and puts Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe aspirations to the test in the Qatar Prix Foy.

The Eve Lodge handler has long seen the Group Two event as the perfect place for his Coronation Cup hero to prepare for a shot at Europe’s richest middle-distance prize back in the French capital on October 4, and the four-year-old will have the assistance of regular rider Oisin Murphy on Sunday.

Scott said: “We weighed it up and felt it would be a better preparation for the Arc going to Longchamp and racing there.

“He’s versatile ground wise and while we know he’s very good on soft ground, he’s also solid on fast ground as well and this looks the ideal route.

“It’s been Plan A since before the start of the season being honest and if you speak to most trainers, Plan A is always the best plan.

“I’ve found in the past that you can over complicate things and go round in circles, but fundamentally this has always been the plan since day one and we’re going to stick to it.”

This will not be the first time Bay City Roller has taken on Daryz in his own back yard, having been hunted down by Francis-Henri Graffard’s colt in the Prix Eugene Adam at Saint-Cloud last year.

Plenty of water has passed under the bridge ahead of their rematch, with Bay City Roller a dual winner at the highest level and Daryz of course the reigning Arc champion and one of Europe’s biggest names.

“It’s going to be fascinating taking on Daryz and he’s an Arc winner and he’s proven himself at the top table once again this year,” continued Scott.

“He’s a horse who might not enjoy travelling for whatever reason, but he’s on his home patch and when you talk about horses for courses, he’s probably as good a horse as there is in the world on his home turf.

“We know the task we face, but this is all about the first weekend in October and without saying this race doesn’t really matter, it’s all part of the process of getting to the Arc. I feel this is the best way of getting there.”

Daryz will be making his first competitive appearance since disappointing at Royal Ascot in June, but buoyed by a sparkling recent gallop at Deauville, connections are excited ahead of his return.

Nemone Routh, French racing manager and director for the Aga Khan Studs, said: “Everyone is waiting to see Daryz and he is in really great form.

“During his gallop at Deauville, he was really very calm, and it was the same again this Tuesday morning for his gallop at home. His jockey, Mickael Barzalona, really felt that he was listening to him.

“He won’t be at 100 per cent on Sunday because we want him to be at his peak for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which is our main objective.”

The Prix Foy is one of three high-class middle-distance events on the Arc Trials card, with Aidan O’Brien’s Irish Derby hero Benvenuto Cellini the horse that garners all the attention ahead of the Qatar Prix Niel.

O’Brien said: “We are very pleased with Benvenuto Cellini. Everything has gone well since the King George (third) and we are looking forward to seeing him run.”

Group One action for the fillies and mares comes in the form of the Prix Vermeille, where Jim Bolger’s Irish Oaks third Sparan Nua has the chance to go one better than her agonising Yorkshire Oaks defeat at the hands of Kalpana.

“She’s a tough, hardy filly who seems to bounce out of all of her races, so it wasn’t a surprise that she came back from York in great shape,” said PJ Colville, manager for owners Newtown Anner Stud.

“It looks like a nice race to go for and they are saying it is very soft in France, but I think she’s versatile when it comes to ground anyway.

“This wasn’t always the plan, but she’s always had an entry for it. We thought maybe we could give her another week and go for the Blandford Stakes (Curragh) and then back to France or to wait for Champions Day (at Ascot).

“She’s coming out of these races so well though, and the prize-money is very good in France this weekend – it’s a nice pot. Jim is never afraid of running either.

“A couple of weeks ago we were saying she could be a filly for next year, but we’ll see what happens on Sunday as regards the rest of the season. Maurice Regan is never afraid of a challenge, and neither is Jim, so we’ll make a plan after that.”

The 13-strong Vermeille field also features John and Thady Gosden’s Friendly Soul and George Boughey’s American Grade One winner Survie.