Cualificar on Arc trial in G2 Prix Niel

Cualificar seeks a second Group-race win at Longchamp this season as he bids to confirm his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe place in the G2 Prix Niel on Sunday, 7 September.

The Lope de Vega homebred gamely won the G3 Prix La Force at the Paris track in the spring before going on to further G3 honours in another Classic trial, the Prix de Guiche, at Chantilly in May.

Cualificar returned to Chantilly for the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, in which he stayed on strongly to go down by half a length to Camille Pissarro.

Given a break over the summer, the Andre Fabre-trained colt finished third on his return to action in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville in mid-August.