Mouramara provided the Aga Khan with the perfect start to the Arc meeting when landing the Prix De Royallieu Hotel Du Golf Barriere at Longchamp today.
Carrying the famous green and red colours which Johnny Murtagh will sport aboard Sinndar in tomorrow`s Prix de l`Arc de Triomphe-Lucien Barriere, Mouramara was brought down the centre of the track under Gerald Mosse to take up an unassailable lead inside the final furlong and beat Beyond The Waves by a length and a half.
Playact was a short head back in third.
The Aga Khan described the winner, trained like Sinndar by John Oxx, as 'a very nice filly'.
'John has succeeded in having her improve well through the summer,' he said. 'She hasn`t had a trouble-free three-year-old year.'
The biggest concern regarding Vodafone Derby winner Sinndar, according to the Aga Khan, is the Paris weather which was a mixture of sunshine and cloud today.
'We are all looking at the sky wondering what is going to happen between now and tomorrow,' he admitted.
'John is very happy with the preparation of the horse and if he won the Arc he would be classed among the greats.'
Frankie Dettori, who rode Godolphin`s representative Inaaq into fourth place, described the ground as good although Michael Kinane, who partnered the unplaced Chiang Mai, thought it was slightly on the soft side of good ahead of tomorrow`s event.
There was better news for Dettori and Godolphin later in the afternoon when Slickly recorded an all-the-way success in the 10-furlong Prix Dollar le Saint Denac Barriere.
After success over course and distance in June Slickly, who finished runner-up to Dubai Millennium in last year`s Prix Jacques le Marois when trained by Andre Fabre, disappointed when last of seven to Chester House in the Arlington Million in Chicago.
However, he put that defeat behind him in today`s Group Two event with a one-length success over the Marcus Tregoning-trained Albarahin, who was unable to land a blow despite looking a possible winner at the furlong pole.
According to trainer Saeed bin Suroor ground conditions ruined Slickly`s chances of success in Chicago.
'We could see it would not be his day when we arrived in America because the ground was too fast,' said the trainer. 'Today was his day and his race.'
Mick Channon was delighted with the performance of Dayglow Dancer who finished a game three-quarters of a length second under Dettori to the Pascal Bary-trained Panis in the Group Three Prix de Conde Royal Thalasso Barriere.
The Lambourn trainer had hoped conditions would cut up prior to the nine-furlong event but was a happy man as he unsaddled Dayglow Dancer.
'He`s as game as a pebble and kept galloping and just got touched off in the last 50 yards,' he said.
'We were hoping it would be heavy, he`s in the Criterium here and it`s up to his owners where they want to go next.'
There was little luck for the remaining British runners on a low-key Arc eve withthe Sean Woods-trained Riddlesdown doing the best of the trio of cross-Channel raiders in the Prix Hubert de Chaudenay Casino Barriere de Menton by finishing second to the Fabre-trained Epitre.
The Aga Khan was rewarded with a double when Tawasila landed the Listed Prix Charles Laffitte Hermitage Barriere.
