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Big Longchamp field no worry for Paul Hanagan

Paul Hanagan has high hope for Taghrooda in France
Paul Hanagan has high hope for Taghrooda in France

The draw at Longchamp will be key for Paul Hanagan as he prepares to partner Classic heroine Taghrooda in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Sunday.

The former champion jockey teams up with John Gosden's ante-post favourite as she looks to atone for her narrow defeat at the hands of Tapestry in the Yorkshire Oaks.

Winner of the Investec Oaks and King George, Taghrooda was subsequently reported to be coming into season when she was beaten half a length on the Knavesmire.

She will have chance to avenge that defeat as Tapestry has been supplemented for all-aged middle-distance championship.

The addition of the Aidan O'Brien-trained filly takes the Arc field to 20 ahead of Friday's final declaration stage, with 17 and 18 runners having gone to post for the last two renewals.

While a big field can produce some hard luck stories, Hanagan believes Taghrooda will rise to the challenge if things get a little tight in the course of the race.

He told At The Races: "She won't shy from anything really, she can hold her own.

"She's a big filly, she rides kind of like a colt so that (a big field) wouldn't worry me.

"It's hard to say yet (how the race may pan out) because we don't definitely know what is going to run yet and we don't know where we're going to be drawn. It's a bit early to be going into tactics."

Connections of Tapestry forked out €120,000 to add the filly to the field despite the fact she put up no kind of show when only ninth in the one-mile Matron Stakes on her most recent outing.

Ryan Moore is set to ride and Hanagan thinks it is worth the O'Brien team taking a chance.

He added: "It was a lot of money (to supplement Tapestry) but I think she would have to go and have a run there - she's a very good filly."

Tapestry was the sole supplementary entry, with Chicquita and Ruler Of The World, the likely mounts of Joseph O'Brien and Frankie Dettori respectively, also representing Ballydoyle.

All of the other leading hopes, including Ectot, Avenir Certain and the Japanese trio of Harp Star, Gold Ship and Just A Way, are still in the mix.

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