Longchamp free racing tips: O’Brien yards have Arc de Triomphe glory in their sights

15:20 ParisLongchamp: Qatar Prix del’Arc de Triomphe (1½ miles)

Joseph Patrick O’Brien’s four-year-old colt, Al Riffa, has been aimed at this race all year, particularly after he was part-bought by his Japanese owner in the summer, a close friend of legendary jockey, Yutaka Take, who was always going to be given the ride as soon as that deal went through.

Al Riffa’s preparation looks perfect, in that he produced a career-best performance when chasing home City Of Troy in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse at Sandown on his penultimate start in July, before bettering that run when romping home in a German Group 1 back in August.

The Coral-Eclipse took place over 10 furlongs on a testing, right-handed track with soft ground and Al Riffa made up a significant amount of late ground to close in on City Of Troy, getting within a length of the multiple Group 1 winner at the line.

Al Riffa attempted to concede 10lbs to City Of Troy and was never nearer than at the line, a huge run considering Al Riffa was still in last place when City Of Troy burst to the front between the last two furlong poles

Best Bet : Al Riffa each-way in the 15:20 at Longchamp (Arc de Triomphe)

Then, stepping up to 12 furlongs for the first time in Germany the following month, Al Riffa bounded clear of six rivals to win a Group 1 by an impressive five lengths.

It was the same Group 1 event that had been won by Torquator Tasso a month before he won the 2021 Arc, except that the top-class German Arc winner was only able to win that prep race by a length rather than the five by which Al Riffa won the same race in August.

Al Riffa had already proven himself at today’s venue, having made his seasonal debut here back in April, running within three quarters of a length of the winner in the Group 1 Prix Ganay over the shorter 10.5-furlong trip on soft ground.

Ignoring his only other run this term, which took place on totally unsuitable firm ground, Al Riffa has put together a series of three very strong performances leading up to this, and during the course of those three Group 1 runs, he has proved himself on this track, over this trip, and on this ground.

Of the others, Aidan O’Brien’s best chance appears to lie with Los Angeles, who has already won Group 1 and Group 2 prizes over this 1½-mile trip so far this season.

He goes on any ground and his only defeat over this distance came when he finished  third of 16 in this year’s Epsom Derby, which was won easily by the aforementioned City Of Troy.

Los Angeles clearly has plenty going for him, although he was unable to get anywhere near as close to City Of Troy as Al Riffa did at Sandown, and the older horses have come out on top in five of the last six renewals of this race.

Next Best Bet: Los Angeles in the 15:20 at Longchamp (Arc de Triomphe)

• Preview and tips provided Steve Jones, who runs CD Systems Daily Bargain on Tipstrr