Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien has strength in numbers for the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on Tuesday.  The Bastille Day card is a twilight meeting and will not be broadcast by Sky Channel tonight.

O’Brien has four of the 8 runners engaged headed by Age of Aquarius.  The Galileo colt was a G3 winner of the Derby Trial at Lingfield in May before fading to a midfield finish in the G1 English Derby after setting the early pace with stablemate Golden Sword.

“Age of Aquarius is in very good form and we have given him time since the Derby,” O’Brien said.  “We have been targeting this race since then and I am very happy with him.”

O’Brien also has entered Black Bear Island (Sadler’s Wells) and Freemantle (Galileo) who were the first two home in the G3 Dante Stakes at Chester in May.  Last start Gowran Park winner Hail Caesar (Montjeu) rounds out the Ballydoyle quartet.

The home defence will be lead by the Aga Khan homebred Beheshtam.  His Highness and his trainer trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre teamed up to win the Grand Prix de Paris with Montmartre last year.

Beheshtam will be looking to rebound from an unplaced finish in last month’s G1 French Derby.  The Peintre Celebre colt won on debut over 2600m at Maisons-Laffitte in May and followed up with a Listed victory in the Prix de l’Avre over 2400m at Longchamp.

He ran out of real estate when fourth to Le Havre in the French Derby (2100m) and will appreciate the return to 2400m tonight.

“The Derby was only his third run, so he is still improving,” de Royer-Dupre said.  “But if the ground is too firm, we may decide not to run.”