Al Riffa will bid to get Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle off the Group One mark for 2026 when lining up for Thursday evening’s Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Longchamp.
Last year’s Irish St Leger hero is one of nine runners for the €400,000 highlight which was promoted to top-flight status a year ago and is run over just shy of two miles.
It continues Al Riffa’s international travels since that Leger success in September. Seventh in the Melbourne Cup, he subsequently ran fourth to Sosie in the Hong Kong Vase before managing only sixth in the Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan in March behind Fairy Glen.
Other contenders in a strong field include Consent and Santorini Star, who fought out the finish of last year’s Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp over Arc weekend. Also lining up is the Cadran winner Caballo De Mar and the local hope Asmarani, who’s unbeaten in three starts this season.
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The latter’s Aga Khan team will bid to secure an emotional success in Longchamp’s other Group One on Thursday.
The Prix D’Ispahan has been retitled the Prix Aga Khan IV in memory of the renowned owner-breeder who died last year.
Last season’s Arc winner Daryz will be short odds to repeat his ultra-smooth comeback success in last month’s Prix Ganay in the famous green silks. The trip just shy of 10 furlongs will be the shortest he’s ever run over and among four opponents is last year’s winner Sosie.
Before heading to Paris, O’Brien will try to close in on the €1 million prize-money mark for the season so far in Ireland. He has six runners at Gowran on Wednesday evening. O’Brien currently tops the trainers’ table ahead of his father, Aidan.
Perhaps the most intriguing field at Gowran is also the smallest, with just four lining up for a fillies’ conditions race.
The only non-winner is Joseph O’Brien’s Vauntingly, who could never recover from a slow start on her course-and-distance debut last month. Jim Bolger’s impressive Naas scorer Sparan Nua is the other three-year-old while Lady Mairen sets a 92-rated benchmark.
