'It's a dress rehearsal for the Arc' - Look De Vega, Sosie and Ambiente Friendly line up in sumptuous Prix Niel

It is 11 years since Kizuna beat Ruler Of The World by a short head in the meeting of the Tokyo and Epsom Derby winners in the Qatar Prix Niel and it is fair to say this year's edition (3.40) is the first to match that sort of shootout since.

Prix du Jockey Club principals Look De Vega and Sosie occupy first and second in the ante-post lists for the Arc, while Ambiente Friendly brings top-class Classic form to the table having been placed in the Betfred Derby and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. It looks set to be a hugely informative test.

Look De Vega has not been seen since Chantilly in June and carries an unbeaten record from his three starts into the Niel. 

"It will be his first try at 2,400 metres [a mile and a half] but he’s a straightforward horse and I’m not worried about his stamina," said joint-trainer Yann Lerner. "He’s used to soft ground and he already has experience of Longchamp. 

"The Niel counts as a bit more than a test, it’s the dress rehearsal for the Arc. He's in good form and arrives at this stage of the year a fresh horse."

Sosie has also had most of the summer off, though he already has proof in the bank that he stays a mile and a half thanks to his defeat of Illinois in the Grand Prix de Paris.

"We’ll see if Sosie can get closer to Look De Vega and the advantage is that we know he handles the track and stays the trip," said Wertheimer et Frere's racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau. "It’s a good race and it's no secret that our aim is the Arc so he’ll need to run well and show himself to be competitive."

Ambiente Friendly (yellow silks) chases home City Of Troy in the DerbyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Ambiente Friendly returns to 12 furlongs after suffering every conceivable mishap in the Juddmonte International, and has Christophe Soumillon aboard for the first time. 

"It looks a very strong race, but if he reproduces his Irish Derby or his Derby form he’ll run very well," said James Fanshawe. "He got his tongue over the bit at York and never got into a rhythm. He’s been good as gold ever since and seems in good form. 

"He won on soft ground as a two-year-old, though that was over seven furlongs. I think a lot of progeny by Gleneagles handle it, and his pedigree suggests it shouldn’t be a problem." 

The Qatar Prix Foy (1.33) has brought together five older horses, with the entires Continuous and Feed The Flame the only runners who could potentially advance their Arc claims, though the gelded Iresine is likely to be the choice of pari-mutuel punters.

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