Aidan O'Brien responsible for almost half of the Grand Prix de Paris confirmations - including a Royal Ascot winner

Aidan O’Brien is responsible for five of the remaining 11 entries in Saturday’s Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, including Queen’s Vase winner Illinois.

Illinois finished second to subsequent Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly in the Lingfield Derby Trial in May and confirmed that promise when beating stablemate Highbury in the Group 2 event at Royal Ascot.

He was third to stablemate Los Angeles on his previous visit to France in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud on his second and final start at two last year.

Lingfield Derby Trial fourth The Euphrates, who has been beaten twice since, and Hampton Court eighth Portland are among O’Brien’s other entries, along with Euphoric and Grosvenor Square who were well beaten in the Irish Derby last time.

Illinois: landed the Queen's Vase at Royal AscotCredit: Patrick McCann

O’Brien first won the race with Scorpion in 2005. Imperial Monarch was successful seven years later and the Ballydoyle trainer enjoyed a hat-trick in the race from 2018 to 2020 with Kew Gardens, Japan and Mogul.

The Coolmore and Westerberg connections could also be represented with the Jean-Claude Rouget-trained Delius. The son of Frankel has a 3-3 record and most recently defeated the potentially reopposing Saganti in the Group 3 Prix du Lys at Chantilly last month.

Delius is one of three entries for Rouget, who could also run last-time-out Listed winners Sibayan and Zweig.

The Andre Fabre-trained Sosie brings the best recent French form having finished a staying-on third in the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly last month.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Hurricane Lane was the last British-trained winner in 2021 but, bar any supplementary entries on Wednesday, there will not be any British representation this weekend. 

St James’s Palace sixth Almaqam and Prix du Jockey Club second First Look were among those not confirmed on Monday morning, with the possible field whittled down from 74 entries.

Read more . . .

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