Varian couldn’t be happier with Postponed
Varian's ace will face a tough field including a trio of challengers from Aidan O'Brien's stable; Found, Highland Reel and Order Of St George
ROGER Varian reports Postponed in "peak condition" as he attempts to crown his fantastic season with victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly on Sunday.
The five-year-old appeared a leading contender for the Paris showpiece last year after landing the King George and the Prix Foy, but then came the surprise news that owner Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum was to move all the horses he had in training with Luca Cumani to join up with Varian and, with Longchamp looming large, Postponed was ruled out.
There were no such dramas ahead of this year's renewal, with Varian's charge having enjoyed an unbeaten four-race campaign thus far featuring top-level strikes in the Dubai Sheema Classic, the Coronation Cup and the Juddmonte International.
Varian made no secret of the fact Postponed's preparation for his latest assignment at York was far from ideal, having previously been unable to defend his King George crown due to a dirty scope, but he could not be happier with his stable star ahead of Europe's premier middle-distance event.
"The horse is very well and I feel he's in very good condition," said the Kremlin House handler.
"He'll travel over tomorrow (Saturday), fingers crossed he has a safe journey and we'll be very pleased."
Varian declared himself satisfied after Postponed was handed stall seven in the draw on Friday morning and does not expect ground conditions to be an issue.
He said: "I'm not sure you want to be in one, two or three and probably not the three widest stalls. Whatever you get, good or bad, there's nothing you can do about it and you just have to make the best of it, but seven looks all right, I think.
"It should be lovely ground, whether it be good to firm, good or on the soft side of good. It doesn't look like there's going to the volume of rain that would make the ground testing, which is what we didn't really want, so we're happy.
"We've had a very good run of it since York. I think it's fair to say he didn't have the ideal preparation for the Juddmonte International, but he's had a very good preparation for Sunday.
"I don't think you can ever going into a race like the Arc confident, but I'm confident he's in peak condition and hopefully he has every chance.
"I don't know if he's going to produce a career-best, but if he gets a smooth run round, I think he'll produce a very good performance."
Aidan O'Brien's solitary Arc success to date came nine years ago with Dylan Thomas and he fires a three-pronged assault on this season's renewal.
Ryan Moore partners Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Found, who has filled the runner-up spot on her last five starts - all at Group One level - most recently chasing home Almanzor in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
King George winner Highland Reel was well-beaten in the same race but will be well suited by the return to a mile and a half under Seamie Heffernan, while Frankie Dettori comes in for the ride on Gold Cup hero Order Of St George.
The latter was beaten at long odds-on in the Irish St Leger last time out and is unproven at this shorter distance.
"Found is in good form. We've been happy with her since Leopardstown and everything has gone well," said O'Brien.
"Order Of St George is also in good form. We were happy with his last run, other than he didn't win. We've been happy with him since and obviously any ease in the ground he gets will suit him.
"Highland Reel is probably ground independent. He doesn't mind fast ground or an ease in the ground. He ran well at Leopardstown last time."
Harzand provided trainer Dermot Weld and jockey Pat Smullen with their first taste of Investec Derby glory at Epsom back in June and followed up in the Irish equivalent the following month.
He was found to have suffered an injury after disappointing in the Irish Champion and Smullen is hopeful he can bounce back.
"He's got some healing power, the way he recovered from his bruised foot at Epsom to win the Irish Derby and again he recovered from being struck into in the Irish Champion Stakes," Smullen told At The Races.
"Those little things don't seem to affect him, he's able to take it.
"It's a bit tight on the turn and it's a short straight so there's a fear of congestion, but there's a long run down the back to sort yourself out.
"If anything it's more demanding than Longchamp so if anything that should suit our horse.
"Postponed is the stand-out horse, his form is rock solid. No matter what the ground is or 10 or 12 furlongs he's a proper horse and the one we have to beat."
