Look de Vega and Ronan Thomas winning the Qatar Prix du Jockey Club © Photo Healy Racing
Look De Vega is out to reverse his fortunes when he encounters Sosie once again in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
The colt raced only once at two when taking his maiden by an easy seven lengths, after which he returned this year to move onto bigger things when starting out with a comfortable victory.
Stepped up in class for the French Derby, the Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly, his flawless record was maintained at the highest level as he prevailed by two lengths with Andre Fabre’s Sosie in third behind him.
The two horses met again in the Prix Niel recently over the Arc course and distance and Sosie was able to turn the tables on his rival, crossing the line first with Jean-Claude Rouget’s Delius behind him and Look De Vega further back in third.
The father and son team of Carlos and Yann Lerner were naturally hoping their three-year-old would land the Arc trial, but have lost no faith in his ability to stay the distance as they feel he was short of peak condition last time out.
Yann Lerner said: “The distance holds no worries for me. We shouldn’t judge his ability to stay the trip based on his effort in the Prix Niel, given that he wasn’t in peak condition when attempting the trip for the first time.
“He found himself making the running for the first time in his career, and Ronan Thomas (jockey) can confirm that colt’s breathing patterns weren’t as they usually are, having been denied the chance of a breather at the critical part of the race.
“The pace in the Arc will be far more searching, and he has the tactical speed which enables him to adjust to whatever scenario unfolds in terms of the pace.
“He should find himself in a far better place in terms of how the race unfolds. Furthermore, I think he’ll quicken in the same way over 2400 metres as he does over 2100 metres.”
Fabre’s Sosie is now proven twice over the Arc course and distance having won the Grand Prix de Paris prior to his Prix Niel victory.
The colt was bred by the Wertheimer brothers, Alain and Gerard, whose racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau said: “He loves the track and has won there three times, while the distance is no problem either as he won the Grand Prix de Paris and Prix Niel over the same course and distance.
“He will have no problem with both distance and track and that is important.
“Andre knows how to get a horse prepped for the big day and that will be important. After the Grand Prix de Paris the aim has always been the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. The other day he had a good race and didn’t have to fight too much so hopefully there is some more to come.”
Sosie is one of three Fabre-trained runners in the race, with Mqse De Sevigne also entered for the master trainer alongside Sevenna’s Knight.
Sevenna’s Knight is expected to be the outsider of the Fabre trio, while multiple Group One winner Mqse De Sevigne is one of four fillies in the race and arrives in Paris is outstanding form having won her last four races.
Delius, who split Sosie and Look De Vega in the Niel, will take them both on again, with the Wertheimers having a second chance through the Christophe Ferland-trained Aventure after her second-placed run behind Bluestocking in the Prix Vermeille.
