Aidan O'Brien: 'We think the best is still to come from Los Angeles - the Arc will be right up his alley'

We have not seen the best of Los Angeles yet, according to Aidan O'Brien, who said the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe has been the plan for the strapping son of Camelot since he crossed the line in the Irish Derby back in June. 

The ground has not dried out enough for Auguste Rodin to take his chance in Europe's championship race on Sunday, so O'Brien will most likely be doubly represented in his quest for a third Arc success with Ryan Moore on board Los Angeles and Christophe Soumillon coming in for the ride on Continuous. 

It is eight years since Found led home a famous 1-2-3 for O'Brien in the Arc and the Ballydoyle challenge is set to be whittled from five down to two as Auguste Rodin is set to head straight to the Japan Cup, while Opera Singer is more likely to stick to her own sex in the Prix de l'Opera. Luxembourg is not going to run either. 

Speaking at a press conference organised by France Galop, O'Brien said: "We think the most likely two are Los Angeles and Continuous. The ground is probably not going to be good enough for Auguste Rodin or Luxembourg, and Opera Singer is likely to go to the Prix de l'Opera instead."

When asked whether the best is yet to come from Los Angeles, O'Brien replied: "We think so. He's a very big horse and he's improving physically. There's no doubt a mile and a half will be right up his alley. He won an Irish Derby right-handed like Longchamp and we've been very happy with his two preps for the Arc. Hopefully we've done as much as we can for him to run as well as he can."

Given City Of Troy has been pencilled in for an audacious attempt at Breeders' Cup Classic glory for quite some time, Los Angeles has been Ballydoyle's number-one Arc hope for a while according to O'Brien. 

He said: "It's been the plan since the Irish Derby. We knew he could be a Leger horse at any time, but we had other horses for that race as well, so after the Irish Derby that was what we had in our heads. That's why we went to York to get a run into him, even though he had a penalty over a mile and a half, and then the plan was to come back to a mile and a quarter at Leopardstown.

"We were very happy with his run at Leopardstown. We were hoping that if he finished in the first four it would be good enough to run in the Arc and that's what he did. He's been very good since Leopardstown and everything has gone well. His work has been as good as we could have expected."

Continuous (right): set to join Los Angeles in Sunday's Arc for trainer Aidan O'BrienCredit: Patrick McCann

Continuous was a fine fifth in the Arc last year as a three-year-old, only beaten three and a half lengths by Ace Impact, and O'Brien thinks he could be capable of even better on Sunday in a more strongly run race.

On jockey bookings, he said: "Christophe rode Continuous the last day and it's possible that he will ride him again."

He added of the Heart's Cry colt, who is priced between 20-1 and 33-1: "We were very happy with his run in the trial [third in the Prix Foy]. It didn't suit him to make the running, but it was obviously a slow pace, and we think he will be much better in a strongly run race and we've been happy with him since.

"We've trained him with an autumn campaign in mind and last year's race was a slowly-run race. We always had it in our minds that hopefully he would be better this year and we would prepare him better for the race.

"We think both horses will handle an ease in the ground."

O'Brien is likely to have a strong squad for the supporting races on the Longchamp card this weekend and among them will be Kyprios, who will return to the Prix du Cadran two years after he romped away with the race by 20 lengths.

On the decision to sidestep the Arc with the superstar stayer, O'Brien said: "We just thought it might be a bit disrespectful to the horse to ask him to run in an Arc after what he's after doing for us. He's comfortable going those longer trips, he's going in an easier gear than he would be in an Arc. Everything has gone well since the Irish St Leger and we're looking forward to seeing him running again."

Bedtime Story lost her unbeaten record in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, won by stablemate Lake Victoria, but is likely to take up her engagement in the Prix Marcel Boussac, while there could also be two Ballydoyle representatives in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere as Henri Matisse and Camille Pissarro are intended runners.

Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (3.20 Longchamp, Sunday)

Paddy Power: 7-2 Sosie, 9-2 Look De Vega, 6 Shin Emperor, 13-2 Los Angeles, 10 Al Riffa, Bluestocking, Delius, 16 Auguste Rodin, Aventure, 20 Continuous, Mqse De Sevigne, 25 Fantastic Moon, Sparkling Plenty, 33 Opera Singer, Zarakem, 40 Sevennas Knight, Sunway, Survie, 50 Haya Zark, 66 Luxembourg

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