Ambiente Friendly is reported to be in "great form" as he prepares to face Prix du Jockey Club winner and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe favourite Look De Vega in the Qatar Prix Niel.
James Fanshawe’s colt ran into trouble against City Of Troy in the Derby at Epsom before finishing third in the Irish Derby. However, he experienced a rare setback in his three-year-old campaign with a lacklustre performance in the Juddmonte International Stakes at York. He now heads to France, aiming to rebound in this competitive race and set himself up for further major assignments later in the autumn.
Ambiente Friendly is expected to encounter soft ground at ParisLongchamp for the first time since his debut at Leicester. Christophe Soumillon will take over from Robert Havlin in the saddle.
Fanshawe commented, “He worked well on Tuesday morning and seems to be in great shape. The ground in Paris looks likely to be soft, but he has won on similar ground at Leicester before, albeit over seven furlongs. We’ll have to see how he handles it, but he’s in good form and on track for Sunday.”
In addition to Ambiente Friendly and Look De Vega, the field also includes Carlos and Yann Lerner’s unbeaten Chantilly hero and Andre Fabre’s Sosie, who was third in the French Derby behind Look De Vega and won the Grand Prix de Paris over the same course and distance this summer.
After the forfeit stage on Wednesday, nine runners remain in the Group Two event.
The ParisLongchamp card also features the Group One Prix Vermeille, where Ralph Beckett’s Bluestocking might face Aidan O’Brien’s Nassau Stakes winner Opera Singer and John and Thady Gosden’s experienced Emily Upjohn. Other contenders include Hughie Morrison’s Stay Alert and Gavin Hernon’s Dare To Dream.
Among the five entries for the Group Two Qatar Prix Foy, the standout name is O’Brien’s 2023 St Leger winner Continuous.