Brundtland looks to secure another Group 1 for Appleby in Royal-Oak

Prix Royal-Oak (Group 1) |1m7f, 3yo+

This is a race that has a recent history of revealing young staying talent, with both Vazirabad and Ice Breeze having taken advantage of the weight-for-age to post maiden Group 1 victories during its sojourn at Saint-Cloud.

With Longchamp closing early this autumn to give groundstaff a few extra weeks to tend the turf before winter takes hold, Brundtland leaps off the page as a three-year-old who is progressing fast.

Charlie Appleby eschewed the obvious route of challenging for the Arc after the unbeaten Dubawi colt landed the Prix Niel, instead stepping him up to this trip to score in the Prix Chaudenay.

"Brundtland has done nothing but progress with each race and showed that he is not short of stamina in the Prix Chaudenay," said Appleby. "He came out of that race very well and we felt this was a great opportunity to try and win a Group 1 with him. He gets a three-year-old weight allowance and should be very competitive."

Andre Fabre fields a second Godolphin challenger in Morgan Le Faye, who looked a huge threat halfway up the straight in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran over two and a half miles and lost little in defeat when finishing third to Call The Wind.

Godolphin's Lisa-Jane Graffard said: "Morgan Le Faye has produced good staying performances in the Prix Gladiateur and the Prix du Cadran, when she got a little tired at the end. This looks a tough race on ratings, but she has very serious place claims and any cut in the ground will help."

Called To The Bar defeated both Morgan Le Faye and Holdthasigreen in the Group 3 Prix Gladiateur and has been kept fresh for this by Pia Brandt.

Flag Of Honour makes a quick reappearance after running third on Champions Day at Ascot eight days ago, along with Horseplay, who continued her excellent season when narrowly denied by God Given in the Park Hill Stakes.

What they say

Willie Mullins, trainer of Max Dynamite
He disappointed in the Prix du Cadran and we're trying blinkers for the first time to try and wake him up. Hopefully, the ground won't be too soft as that wouldn't suit him.

Andrew Balding, trainer of Horseplay
It was a really good effort under a Group 2 penalty at Doncaster and she stayed all the way to the line so I hope distance won’t be a problem. It’s getting late in the year and it’s always a little bit difficult to gauge with fillies but she looks good and seems fit and well.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Flag Of Honour
Flag Of Honour came out of his Long Distance Cup run well. We haven't done much with him since but he seems in good form and the trip will suit.

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