AIDAN O’Brien has warned that his star three-year-old miler Gstaad is physically “in a way better place than he’s ever been in this year” ahead of tomorrow’s Group 1 Qatar Prix du Moulin (3.25).

It could be ominous sounding for his rivals in the €800,000 event at ParisLongchamp, a race that features top-level winners Opera Ballo and Ten Bob Tony, close-up Prix Jean Prat third Nighttime and promising three-year-old Erdenali.

The race is desperately missing the presence of recently-retired division champion Bow Echo, and O’Brien insists he himself is ruing the lack of opportunity to lock horns with George Boughey’s ace again. Gstaad finished second to Bow Echo on three occasions this season, getting to within a short-head of him in the St James’s Palace Stakes and a half length in the Sussex Stakes. Speaking at a Ballydoyle open morning this week, the record-breaking trainer feels his Breeders’ Cup and Irish Guineas hero is entering the autumn in rude physical health.

“We’re very happy with him - his work has really progressed,” O’Brien said.

“Physically, we think he’s in a way better place than he’s ever been in this year and we thought that could happen because he’s a big, rangey horse and could get stronger as the year went on.

“Obviously, we were hoping Bow Echo would still be there, because we felt at that time of year that the pendulum could have swung in our advantage as a big horse. He goes to the Prix du Moulin and everything looks good with him. The Breeders’ Cup Mile would look a target for him in the autumn. We had a choice to go to Australia for the Cox Plate, but at the moment it looks like the Moulin, possibly the QEII at Ascot and then the Breeders’ Cup.

“There’s a possibility True Love would run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile and Precise could go for the Filly and Mare Turf. The lads love the Breeders’ Cup and it’s very important, so they won’t mind a couple running in the same races.”

Cellini prep

There is plenty of Irish interest across Sunday’s card at ParisLongchamp, including a chance for Sparan Nua to go one better at Group 1 level for Jim Bolger in the Qatar Prix Vermeille (2.50).

Later in the afternoon, O’Brien also saddles his Irish Derby winner Benvenuto Cellini in the Group 2 Qatar Prix Niel (4.00) - a potential tee-up for some of the world’s most prominent Group 1 races for middle-distance horses in the autumn.

“He goes for the Prix Neil and then he’s ready for the Arc, if the ground came up nice,” O’Brien told The Racing Edge Podcast (by The Irish Field). “If the ground doesn’t, he won’t go there and will head for America and Hong Kong instead. He’s very nice and we’re delighted with him.

“We were very happy with his run in the King George [when beaten two lengths in third behind Kalpana]. We just felt that maybe we didn’t move early enough on him at Ascot.

“In the Irish Derby, we moved early - at four furlongs out we started to move - but in the King George, we decided to track Kalpana. She was just able to get a length on him and just got away from him for a few strides. He was making it back, but the line just came too early.

“We think he’s done very well physically. He’s a great mover with a great mind and we’re very pleased with him. It’s going to be interesting to see him and we think he’s a horse who is really on the upward curve.”

Arc hero returns

There is also a chance to see last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe hero Daryz in action in the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foy (4.35), facing just four rivals, including runaway Coronation Cup winner Bay City Roller.

The Aga Khan Studs director and French racing manager Nemone Routh has indicated that the last-time-out Prince Of Wales’s Stakes third will not be fully ripe for this weekend, but feels he is in good shape ahead of the mile-and-a-half contest (worth €119,000).

“Everyone is waiting to see Daryz,” said Routh. “He is in really great form. At the moment, we find him very relaxed and focused. During his [recent] gallop at Deauville, he was really very calm, and it was the same again this Tuesday morning for his gallop on Les Réservoirs [one of the tracks at the Chantilly training centre].

“His jockey, Mickaël Barzalona, really felt that he was listening to him. He won’t be at 100% on Sunday, because we want him to be at his peak for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, which is our main objective.”