Paris Longchamp Tuesday

7.15 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris (Group 1) 1m 4f

It’s Bastille Day on Tuesday, which means the staging at Longchamp of France’s only evening Group 1 race and the last three-year-old-only showpiece of the season, the mile and a half Cygames Grand Prix de Paris.

Seven colts are set to go to post, including two O’Brien-trained Irish Royal Ascot winners: Aidan O’Brien’s Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes victor, Causeway, plus the Group 2 Queen’s Vase hero, Limestone, trained by Aidan’s son, Joseph.

The two British representatives are the Group 1 Derby runner-up, Maltese Cross, from the William Haggas yard, and Charlie Johnston’s Ancient Egypt, who went down by a neck to Causeway in the King Edward VII and has over 10 lengths to find with Maltese Cross on their Derby running.

The field is likely to be completed by three home hopes: the Group 3 Prix Greffulhe winner and Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club fifth, Alam; the unbeaten Group 3 Prix Hocquart winner, Varandir; and Space Waltz, successful in last month’s Group 3 Prix du Lys.

A sheepskin cheekpiece wearer, Causeway only ever does just enough so he can step up again on his narrow Ascot success and come out on top in the O’Brien family’s private battle. But he may have to settle for second place behind Maltese Cross, who has been given plenty of time to get over his Epsom exertions and will be much better suited by the fast ground in Paris than he was by the rain-affected underfoot conditions, when still finding only Christmas Day too strong in the Derby.

SELECTION: MALTESE CROSS Next best: Causeway