DERMOT Weld’s progressive stayer Harbour Wind aims to boost his Melbourne Cup aspirations when contesting France’s longest surviving race, the Group 3 Prix Gladiateur at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.

The Moyglare Stud homebred made a winning four-year-old return in the Listed Martin Molony Stakes in June and is reported to be in fine fettle ahead of his trip to France.

“He’s in good form,” regular rider Chris Hayes told The Irish Field.

“He likes a little bit of juice in the ground and this race looks kind of tailor made for him. It fits into his programme nicely.”

The son of Nathaniel ended his three-year-old campaign with a gallant second in the Group 2 Prix Chaudenay, with the winner Double Major subsequently impressive in the Group 1 Prix Royal Oak.

Hayes expects Harbour Wind to produce an improved effort on his second course start. “He’s a better horse now. He was a bit raw and a bit inexperienced last year, and tactically, he wasn’t probably sharp enough over there last year, but he’s a different horse now.

“I’d expect him to go close,” Hayes continued. “There’s a decent horse of Andre Fabre’s, but they’ve only met once, and we finished in front of him, so I’d be hopeful. He’s fairly versatile tactics-wise, too.”

As mentioned by Hayes, the Andre Fabre-trained Sevenna’s Knight appears the main danger, based on back-to-back group wins by a combined nine and three-quarter lengths earlier this season.

Ralph Beckett’s four-time stakes winner River Of Stars is the sole British raider and comes off the back of finishing third in the Group 2 Lillie Langtry Stakes. Her pilot Maxime Guyon is seeking a record sixth win in the race, as is Christophe Soumillon, aboard the Bottis’ improving four-year-old Presage Nocturne.