Aidan O'Brien: reaction to my Arc day runners
By Alex Scott
Last Updated: Sun 4 Oct 2026
Aidan O’Brien had a successful afternoon at Longchamp on Sunday, saddling True Love to win the Group One Prix de la Foret as well as seeing his filly Diamond Necklace place in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe from the widest possible stall. The master trainer caught up with Alex Scott to share his thoughts on his key runners.
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True Love
Won the Prix de la Foret
True Love beat Nighttime in a photo finish to win the final Group One of the meeting. (Pic: Liesl King - focusonracing.com)
“What can I say? It was a tough performance today and it was an aggressive race and Ryan rode her aggressively and brilliantly.
“A lot of people put a lot of hard work into her. It was a long couple of days; we had some fancied runners, but we hadn’t had a winner, so it was great for them.
“She could go to the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Ryan feels that she likes to have an aggressive race now, because she’s a little bit laid back around a bend, so Keeneland should suit her. I’m over the moon that we had a winner.”
Diamond Necklace
Finished third in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
Diamond Necklace ran a fine race in defeat on her first run over the distance. (Pic: Liesl King - focusonracing.com)
“We’re delighted with her. She didn’t have a great draw and Christophe [Soumillon] said he just got trapped three-wide on her. He thought it was going to be two, but he got pushed out to three, but he was pleased with the run.
“He said he would have preferred to get a lead into the straight, and the winner got the lead off him. He would have preferred it to have been the other way around.
“The winner is a great horse but it looked like she got the mile and a half.
“What’s funny about her is that it’s only really in the last month where she’s been really able to take a normal horse’s work. She’s been weak all year and is just starting to progress now.
“She could go to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The lads could also keep her in training next year, it depends what they want to do.”
Benvenuto Cellini
Finished ninth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
“He was a little bit slow away, so we kind of have to work on that, but will go to the Breeders’ Cup Turf next time. Ryan [Moore] just said he’s a bit slow early and got back a bit further than he wanted, and the pace was slow, but he was happy with the horse’s run.”
Minnie Hauk
Finished tenth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe
“William [Buick] just said he was trapped in there and similarly said the pace was a bit slow for him. She could go for the British Champions Fillies and Mares’ Stakes at Ascot.”
Precise
Finished second in the Prix de l’Opera
“We were delighted with her as well on her first attempt over that trip but she may drop a furlong and head to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Man’s Best Friend, Florida Bay and Aix La Chapelle
Finished third, fourth and fifth in the Prix Jean Luc-Lagardere
“The two-year-olds ran well. Man’s Best Friend was up in trip but should stay should stay a mile, whilst Aix La Chapelle is by Justify and we might be looking at a mile next for him.
“Florida Bay could turn into a seven-furlong horse next year. He has pace and he likes to go forward. Maybe in an ideal world he might be ridden forward and even more aggressively. They all ran well."
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