Christophe Ferland is keeping himself grounded ahead of Aventure's bid for Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe glory and confirmed regular pilot Maxime Guyon will take the ride.
Guyon – who is also the regular partner of last year’s beaten favourite Sosie for owners the Wertheimer brothers – was in the plate when the Sea The Stars filly finally got her long-awaited Group One in the Qatar Prix Vermeille at Longchamp on Arc trials day.
The four-year-old was second in that race behind Bluestocking last year before again chasing home Ralph Beckett’s star in the Arc itself.
Ferland said: "Last year he (Guyon) rode Sosie, but he knows the filly very well and last year my filly finished second so it’s up to him to better that this year!
"It was very important to win a Group One race. We were waiting for a Group One success for this filly, she didn’t have easy Group Ones in the past at three years old and through this year.
"She was running against older horses and last year she came up against Bluestocking who beat her in the Qatar Prix Vermeille and then also in the Arc and this year we came up against Calandagan so it was great to get the Group One at a time in the season when we still have other targets.
"The filly is very good, she has recovered very well from that race. She’s in good form and we haven’t had any issues. We are preparing now for the Arc with a lot of serenity and calmness.
"I’m quite calm about it. Last year I felt more pressure, it was more difficult because she was three years old and she was running against the older horses.
"The Arc is a very important race and is very much in the minds of everyone. I could have run in the Prix de l'Opera, I’m not saying that it would have been easier, but it wouldn’t get as much attention as the Arc and this year I’m quite calm."
Aidan O'Brien looks set to saddle Los Angeles and Minnie Hauk in this year’s race, with the latter expected to be supplemented later this week to join the current cast of 17 contenders.
Minnie Hauk (pictured) has enjoyed a faultless campaign so far, winning the Cheshire Oaks, the Oaks at Epsom, the Irish Oaks and the Yorkshire Oaks to tee herself up for a first trip to France this weekend.
She disputes favouritism with Aventure, while Croix Du Nord is next in the betting in a bid to provide Japan with an elusive first Arc victory in the race.
Speaking at the weekend, O’Brien said: "Everything has gone well with them since their last runs. Christophe (Soumillon) rode Minnie Hauk during the week and he was very happy."
Los Angeles was beaten less than three lengths into third place in the Arc 12 months ago and while he has failed to trouble the judge in three starts since landing the Tattersalls Gold Cup in May, O’Brien is confident he is returning to his best.
"Los Angeles has made great improvement since his last run and if the ground gets soft it would bring him right into it, he’s a big powerhouse," he told Racing TV.
"The Arc was his plan all year. It went a little bit wrong at Ascot and he had a hard race and we had to back away and because of that he was a little bit behind for his first run back at the Curragh.
"But we felt he came forward well from there to France the last day (finished fourth in Prix Foy) and he ran round the track and and we felt he was going to move on again up to this run, so hopefully this run will be better than his last run. His work has been very nice."
Other potential challengers from Ireland include John Murphy’s White Birch and Jessica Harrington’s Hotazhell, while the three remaining British-trained contenders following Monday’s forfeit stage are Marco Botti’s Giavellotto, the David O’Meara-trained Estrange and Kalpana from Andrew Balding’s yard.
Croix Du Nord is one of three Japanese hopefuls along with Byzantine Dream and Alohi Alii, with Aventure joined on the home team by the likes of Sosie, Daryz and Gezora.
On Monday morning France Galop reported a going stick reading of 7.2, which equates to good to soft ground and there is little to no rain forecast for the rest of the week.
