Oisin Murphy will bid to break new ground for both himself and Japan on Sunday when the multiple champion jockey partners Byzantine Dream in the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
The four-year-old rocketed into the big-race picture when winning the Prix Foy under Murphy on Arc trials day, beating the top-class Sosie, who was fourth in last year’s Arc when favourite for Andre Fabre.
That win saw the Tomoyasu Sakaguchi-trained runner’s odds tumble for his Paris date and only a handful of contenders are in front of him in the ante-post market.
Murphy has long had a successful relationship aboard Japanese-trained runners in major contests around the globe, and is now poised to deliver the European showpiece so sought after by the Japanese, but to date has proved elusive.
He said: "I was very happy with Byzantine Dream in the Prix Foy, he travelled round well and showed a nice turn of foot.
"It was a decent trial, where I didn’t have to get serious with him, and I thought Sosie was a decent benchmark.
"Nice ground will be important for him and I’ll be hoping for a dry week in France."
Assessing the opposition, Murphy pointed towards another chance for Japan, as well as two dangerous fillies.
He said: "Croix Du Nord is a very good horse, the two fillies that stand out are Aventure and Minnie Hauk. Obviously Aidan’s (O’Brien) filly has done nothing wrong this year and Aventure was placed in the race last year."
French trainer Francis-Henri Graffard has confirmed his three jockeys for the race, with Tom Marquand picking up the mount on Prix de Diane winner Gezora.
Graffard also runs Daryz and Prix Jean Romanet heroine Quisisana, with Mickael Barzalona riding the former and Alexis Pouchin set to partner the daughter of Le Havre.
Of Gezora, who finished second to Aventure in the Prix Vermeille, Graffard, who has won 10 Group Ones around Europe this season with the likes of Zarigana, Calandagan and Goliath, said: "Gezora's race in the Prix Vermeille was really good.
"She galloped on really nicely at the end under hands and heels from Mickael Barzalona who was very pleased with her. Aventure was very difficult to beat that day is a favourite for the Arc. We really rode her to build her for the Arc.
"A mile and a half will be perfect, soft ground is a not a problem, she is very easy filly. The Arc is very open this year, it’s a very tough race. I will cross my fingers, but she deserves to take her chance."
Daryz came to York for the Juddmonte International but that race will be remembered for the pacesetting Birr Castle going 20 lengths clear and nearly holding on.
Since then he came close to beating Japanese Derby winner Croix Du Nord in a Group Two.
"Daryz is only three and while he has not run over a mile and a half, he is by Sea The Stars who won the Arc," said Graffard.
"We always thought he was a very nice horse, but he was immature mentally and physically so we found some easy races in the spring that were not too challenging.
"To give him more maturity we took him to York for the Juddmonte International, but that was an odd race.
"We always thought a mile and a half would be his trip so we ran him in the Prince d’Orange and he ran really well having been a bit unlucky in the straight, but he finished very strongly. Soft ground won’t be a problem for him as it was very soft that day."
Arguably the dark horse of the Graffard trio is Quisisana, a five-year-old mare who arrives having won her last four races.
"I like her a lot, she had health issues at three and four, but she’s a lovely mare," said Graffard.
"She’s beautiful, she has a lot of quality and a turn of foot, a mile and a half will be perfect for her. I just wouldn’t want the ground to become too heavy."
