Aidan O'Brien eyeing Prix du Cadran mission next for star stayer Kyprios

Aidan O'Brien has resisted the temptation of having a crack at the Arc with Kyprios but the star stayer is set to be at Longchamp for one of the biggest weekends in European racing when he is likely to line up in the Prix du Cadran.

Kyprios has taken a real stranglehold of the staying division this season with victories in the Gold Cup at Ascot, the Goodwood Cup and the Irish St Leger.

O'Brien did pitch Order Of St George into the Arc twice in 2016 and 2017 after running in the Irish St Leger but he will not be doing the same with Kyprios.

O'Brien told the Racing Post on Sunday: "The Arc is Luxembourg's slot so it's very possible that Kyprios will go to the Cadran. That's the way we're thinking at the moment anyway.

"He's so uncomplicated. He has a lovely mind and he's a lovely mover, he's just a lovely horse and he seems to have come out of the Curragh very well. We've been very happy with him."

The Cadran is one of the very rare omissions on O'Brien's CV. Yeats was beaten in it when sent off odds-on in 2007 and 2008, while he finished third in the race on the final run of his career the following season.

Paddy Power trimmed Kyprios to 11-10 (from 2-1) for the race, in which his potential rivals include Quickthorn, Trueshan, Tashkhan and Coltrane.

The Cadran is run over the same 2m4f trip as the Gold Cup, in which he held off Mojo Star by half a length with Stradivarius back in third.

O'Brien also had good news regarding Luxembourg, who is reported to have come out of his victory in last weekend's Irish Champion Stakes in tip-top shape.

Luxembourg: Irish Champion Stakes winner reported in top shapeCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Brien said of the new Arc favourite: "Everything seems very good with Luxembourg. It was great to see him coming out of the race so well and Killian and Derek [Hennessy] are very happy with him. Wayne [Lordan] rode him in his first piece of work after the race and he was very happy too."

Another of O'Brien's winners on Irish Champions Weekend was Auguste Rodin, now 7-1 favourite for next year's Derby with Paddy Power. He will have his next outing in either the Darley Dewhurst Stakes or the Vertem Futurity.

O'Brien said: "We were chatting during the week about him and he'll either go to the Dewhurst or to Doncaster. We were delighted with what he did at Leopardstown as he had been off for a long time since he won at Naas and it was a big ask. He was just ready for the race so to see him win the way he did was lovely. He's a horse we've always liked."

Read this next:

'He looks a massive price' - where does the Arc value lie now with Baaeed out?

Sign up to receive The Ante-Postman, Robbie Wilders' top weekly newsletter. Get weekend tips, festival fancies and big-race selections delivered straight to your inbox.