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Donnacha O'Brien confident as Piz Badile supplemented for Grand Prix de Paris

Piz Badile wins the PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown
Piz Badile (near): added to the field for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on ThursdayCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Irish Derby runner-up Piz Badile has been supplemented at the final forfeit stage for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on Thursday.

The son of Ulysses finished seven lengths adrift of Westover in the Curragh Classic and will tackle just five rivals in Thursday's 1m4f Group 1, with Roger Varian's Eldar Eldarov and James Ferguson's El Bodegon also lining up.

Trainer Donnacha O'Brien believes Thursday's contest is a race that will suit his stable star, with Gavin Ryan set to travel to Paris for the ride.

O'Brien said: "It looks to be a race that will suit him and it's the same trip as the Curragh. It looks a competitive Group 1, but at the same time we're avoiding the two Derby winners, so it looks an obvious race for him.

"He ran a good race at the Curragh. The winner is a very good horse, but he got a lot closer to him than he did at Epsom so we were happy that he was back to form."

Donnacha O'Brien: looking forward to taking the wraps off Fancy Blue
Donnacha O'Brien: believes Longchamp will play to the strengths of Piz Badile this weekCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

The Ballysax winner was sent off just 9-1 for the Derby at Epsom, but was beaten more than 16 lengths in 12th behind Desert Crown, with the undulating nature of Epsom's surface not seeming to suit.

He bounced back to form in good style at the Curragh and O'Brien believes Longchamp will play to his strengths once again in similar fashion to the Curragh.

"It's quite similar to the Curragh. A right-handed galloping track and hopefully the ground will be nice. It looks a small field, which should suit too, but it's a competitive six-runner field and all race similarly so it doesn't mean it's going to be an easy race by any means.

On Ryan's role, O'Brien said: "Gavin is going to go over. He knows him well so he's going to ride him."

Stephane Wattel's Simca Mille was also supplemented for the race, with Prix Hocquart winnerL'Astronome and Onesto completing the line-up.


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