Through the late spring and summer, the 3-year-old Irish-bred filly Wemightakedthelongway was beaten in three Group 1 races in England and Ireland, finishing second once and fourth twice.
Conveniently, the winners of those races – the fillies Minnie Hauk and Whirl, both trained by Aidan O’Brien – will not pester Wemightakedlongway in her next assignment, Sunday’s Group 1 Prix de l’Opera for fillies and mares at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris.
Minnie Hauk was the early favorite as of Friday for Sunday’s main race at Longchamp, the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Whirl was surprisingly omitted from the Prix de l’Opera lineup, which drew 12.
Wemightakedlongway, trained by O’Brien’s son Joseph, will start in her fourth consecutive Group 1 race in the $587,000 Prix de l’Opera. She was second by 1 1/4 lengths to Minnie Hauk in her last start, the Group 1 Irish Oaks at The Curragh in Ireland on July 19.
A win on Sunday could lead to a trip to California for Wemightakedlongway. In a text message on Monday, Joseph O’Brien said a start in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf is possible for Wemightakedlongway, pending Sunday’s outcome.
A win on Sunday would make a trip to the West Coast much more affordable. The winner of the Prix de l’Opera receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Filly and Mare Turf.
Wemightakedlongway was a tantalizing 7-1 in early betting Friday with British bookmakers for the Prix de l’Opera behind 5-2 See The Fire and 9-2 Tamfana.
See The Fire was third or fourth in three Group 1 races in Britain in the summer, including two losses in tough races against males.
Tamfana, a Group 1 winner in England in October 2024, is winless in her last three starts, the most recent of which was a seventh-place finish in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes against males at Newbury in May.
There are Breeders’ Cup berths available to the winners of six Group 1 races at Longchamp on Sunday. The Arc winner will earn a berth for the BC Turf on Nov. 1.
The winner of the $410,000 Prix de la Foret at seven furlongs will secure an entry in the BC Mile. More Thunder, who has won 4 of 5 starts in England this year, was the 9-4 early favorite in a field of 16. More Thunder, winner of the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury Racecourse on Aug. 16, is a closer, which could make for a dramatic stretch run in a big field.
Asfoora, a 7-year-old Australian-bred mare who won the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at five furlongs at York in August, was 5-1 on Friday for the $410,000 Prix de l’Abbaye, a five-furlong dash through a course on Longchamp’s infield.
The Prix de l’Abbaye drew 19 and is always run at a furious tempo. Monteillie and Rayevka, first and second in the Group 3 Prix du Petit Couvert over the same course and distance on Sept. 14, merit respect.
The winner receives a berth to the BC Turf Sprint at five furlongs on Nov. 1.
The shortest priced favorite of the day is likely to be Diamond Necklace in the $469,600 Prix Marcel Boussac for 2-year-old fillies at a mile. Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Diamond Necklace is unbeaten in two starts, the last of which was the listed Ingabelle Stakes at seven furlongs at Leopardstown, Ireland, on Sept. 13. She was 3-2 on Friday.
The best hope of the French-based runners is Green Spirit, a Kentucky-bred filly by Kingman who is unbeaten in four starts for trainer Christopher Head. Green Spirit won the Group 2 Prix d’Aumale at a mile on Sept. 11 at Longchamp, beating Narissa, another Marcel Boussac starter.
The Marcel Boussac is the first race on the program, with a post time of 9:40 a.m. Eastern.
The second race is the $469,600 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere for 2-year-old colts and fillies at seven furlongs, led by the French runners Rayif, who is unbeaten in two starts, and Nighttime, a winner of 3 of 4 starts.
Rayif won the Group 3 Prix Francois Boutin at seven furlongs on Aug. 17 at Deauville. Nighttime, second in his first start in May, won his last three starts, including the Group 3 Prix la Rochette at seven furlongs on Sept. 11 at Longchamp, often a productive race.
The winners of the Marcel Boussac and Jean-Luc Lagardere will gain berths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Juvenile Turf on Oct. 31.
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