Aidan O’Brien says Found could join Ascot party

Moment in time: Found was a stunning winner of the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and could run on Champions Day. Picture: Racingfotos.com

Aidan O’Brien has raised the tantalising prospect of Found running at Ascot on Champions Day on Saturday week.

The filly was an emphatic winner of the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly on Sunday and most of the talk afterwards was of her defending her Breeders’ Cup Turf crown at Santa Anita on November 5.

However, O’Brien has not ruled out Found running in either the QIPCO Champion Stakes against Almanzor, her conqueror in the Irish version last month, or the QIPCO British Champions Filles & Mares Stakes earlier on the £4.2 million card.

He told the Racing Post on Monday: “Our three Arc runners came home on Sunday night and all of them seemed fine this morning.

“We’ll wait until later in the week when we see how they are before making plans, but Found ran in the Arc last year before going on to finish second in the Champion Stakes at Ascot and then winning the Breeders’ Cup Turf, and it’s possible that we might do something similar with her.

“Nothing is being ruled in or out. We have always thought the world of her and she again proved herself a very good filly on Sunday.”

Found has contested five QIPCO British Champions Series race in the past 16 months and finished runner-up on each occasion.

She is among 14 individual Group 1 winners still engaged in the Champion Stakes. Between them, that group have won 28 races at the highest level.

Opposition in the Fillies & Mares could include the exciting Zhukova, the ante-post favourite, as well as the first two home last year – Simple Verse and Journey.

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