THIS year’s Japan Derby winner Croix Du Nord will be aimed at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

His owners Sunday Racing revealed their plans yesterday, stating that the three-year-old colt will travel to France in August and have a prep run in the Group 3 Prix du Prince d’Orange on September 14th.

Trained by Takashi Saito, Croix Du Nord was a leading two-year-old in Japan last season. He finished second of 18 in the Japanese equivalent of the 2000 Guineas this year (over 10 furlongs) before stepping up in trip to a mile and a half in the Derby where he defeated 17 rivals.

He will become the fourth Japan Derby winner to tackle the Arc in the same year, following Kizuna (fourth, 2013), Makahiki (14th, 2016) and Do Deuce (19th, 2022). Four years ago Saito saddled Chrono Genesis to finish seventh in the Arc.

Yuichi Kitamura will retain the ride at ParisLongchamp, having ridden Croix Du Nord in all his starts to date.

His prep race will be over 10 furlongs at ParisLongchamp. Last year’s edition of the Prix du Prince d’Orange was won by Ombudsman, winner of the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot last week.

Five horses have completed the double, including Ivanjica (1976), Alleged (1978) and most recently Saumarez (1990). The race has been restricted to three-year-olds since 1993 but returns to an open-age event in 2025.

The French racing calendar has changed this year with the standard Arc trials (Prix Vermeille, Prix Foy and Prix Niel) all a week earlier than in the past, on September 7th, thus avoiding a clash with Irish Champions Festival.

The Kitasan Black colt is the first Japanese-trained horse confirmed for this year’s Arc and is one of six Japanes entries for the race.

They include Shin Emperor, who finished 12th in the Arc last year having been third in the Irish Champion Stakes two weeks earlier.

Croix Du Nord’s owners also plan to send the four-year-old filly Ascoli for the Group 1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on August 17th. The Group 1 Victoria Mile winner will be partnered by Christophe Lemaire.