Aventure ran out an impressive winner of the Qatar Prix Vermeille, the four-year-old going one better than when second to Bluestocking in the same Trials Day Group 1 last year.
Trained by Christophe Ferland and ridden by Maxime Guyon, Aventure went on from the Vermeille to fill the runner-up spot behind Bluestocking in the 2024 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and next month’s Longchamp showpiece is firmly on the agenda once more.
Aventure started the current campaign with back-to-back Group-race wins and, although beaten by the top-class gelding Calandgan in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on her most recent run in June, she readily brushed her rivals aside on Sunday.
Those rivals included Aidan O’Brien’s short-priced favourite Whirl, who easily won the Nassau Stakes after a flag start at Goodwood, having also won the Musidora and Pretty Polly earlier this season, but Christophe Soumillon's mount was a spent force soon after the turn for home having taken the field along for much of the 12-furlong journey.
As Whirl went backwards towards the inside rail, it was Aventure and three-year-old Gezora – winner of the Prix de Diane at Chantilly – who came through to fight out the finish and the older filly cruised nicely clear in the final furlong without being asked for maximum effort, ultimately scoring by a length and a half.
🤩Brilliant performance - the classy AVENTURE powers away from her rivals in the (Group 1) Prix Vermeille at @paris_longchamp!
— Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) September 7, 2025
🏆🇫🇷 Will she go one place better in the Arc this year?pic.twitter.com/b4pU6uMEdU
Ferland said on Sky Sports Racing: "We didn't know about the Irish fillies but she won very well today.
"When she came out in the straight she really made a good acceleration and he (jockey) was very confident all the way. I'm very pleased. My mission was to win a Group 1 with her and it's done so it's a good thing.
"We're going for that (Arc). She will be better in four weeks' time, she's coming along now. I don't think she really like the summer, June and July, she's better now.
"It's good ground today but if it's heavy she will go as fast as she does today, even better probably.
"She's got a big heart, she's calm, she's perfect really. A perfect filly to train, she's got such a nice attitude.
"Four weeks to go... it's going to be a long four weeks!"
On a busy weekend of antepost upheaval, Aventure was promoted to 4/1 joint-favourite for the Arc alongside the O'Brien-trained Minnie Hauk, with Sunday's Prix Foy one-two Byzantine Dream and Sosie next in the market at 10/1 and 12/1 respectively.
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