Alain De Royer-Dupre yesterdays finally confirmed that Mandesha will miss Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in favour of a tilt at the Prix de l'Opera on the same card.

Connections have been agonising over whether to let the three-year-old take her chance in the feature event ever since her stylish win in the Prix Vermeille over the Arc course and distance earlier in the month.

However, with the prospect of her staying in training next year a key consideration, they have decided to stick to her own sex and take on the likes of Ouija Board, Alexandrova and Alexander Goldrun instead.

"We think she has a stronger chance in the Prix de l'Opera this year," said Royer-Dupre. "We would prefer to aim her at the Arc next year when she has had another year to prepare.

"We don't want her to have a really hard race at this stage in her career and the Arc looks particularly strong this year. It also could be soft ground which wouldn't be suitable for her.

"It's difficult to know what the ground will be like on Sunday as some rain is forecast. We want to protect the filly for next year," Royer-Dupre said.

"She has already won a Group One over a mile at Deauville so dropping down to 10 furlongs should not be a problem - she will certainly have enough speed.

"Next year she will be in training for the Arc whereas this year she has been running over a mile and also 10 furlongs."

Royer-Dupre will still be represented in the Arc by Pride, who finished seventh in the race last year. The decision by Mandesha's owner, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, leaves retained rider Christophe Soumillon free to partner Breeders' Cup Turf winner Shirocco.

Andre Fabre's runner is one of three runners to dominate the Arc betting along with stablemate Hurricane Run and Japanese superstar Deep Impact.

The latter completed his preparations with a six-furlong blow-out under big-race rider Yutaka Take at Chantilly yesterday morning. The four-year-old completed the final four furlongs in 50 seconds and the final furlong in 12 seconds to prove his well-being.

Speaking at a press conference following the gallop, trainer Yasuo Ikee said: "I didn't give any instructions to Yutaka today. I am quite satisfied with Deep Impact's final preparations.

"He is in very good shape. All the staff, including myself, were very pleased to hear Yutaka say that he got a very good response from Deep Impact today.

"We will do our best from now until the race day to make him 100 per cent fit for the race. I am not too concerned about his draw and as representatives of Japan, we really want to win."

Take echoed those sentiments and is looking forward to showing the Europeans what they have been missing.

"We want to gain the honour of being the first horse and the first jockey outside Europe to win the Arc de Triomphe," he said.

"I know that this is the hardest race to win in the world, so I want to be victorious. I believe that Deep Impact is a world-class horse and I will ride in the race with that belief. I won't talk about his draw because if I say what I wish for, it probably won't come true! I would rather it didn't rain before the race. I've received a lot of encouragement from so many people back in Japan.

"I want to win the Arc and make their dream come true. If he wins this race, he will be recognised as the best horse in the world and I sincerely hope to make him the best in the world."

With the news that Mandesha would not be supplemented, Coral make Deep Impact their 5 to 2 market leader. "It's not just Japanese race fans that believe Deep Impact can make history on Sunday, plenty of British punters reckon he's the real deal as well," said spokesman David Stevens.

"At present, Hurricane Run is proving friendless in the market, and there's every chance last year's winner could be sent off as third favourite.

"The news that Christophe Soumillon is free to ride Shirocco has prompted support for that colt, but Kieren Fallon's mount remains easy to back at present."

Totesport see things differently though, and make Fallon's mount their 5 to 2 joint favourite with Shirocco. Spokesman Damian Walker said: "There's precious little between the front three in the Arc betting and at the prices, we make it a 1 to 5 shot that the winner will come from either Shirocco, Hurricane Run or Deep Impact."