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Connections of Prix Niel winner Fantastic Moon have confirmed that the colt will head to either the USA or Japan, rather than return to Longchamp for the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

The German Derby winner, trained by Sarah Strindberg, has demonstrated a preference for a sounder surface, which is not guaranteed in the 'Arc'. With that in mind, a run at either the Breeder's Cup or the Japan Cup has been identified as a probable target.

Fantastic Moon was a comfortable winner of the traditional three-year-old trial race for the 'Arc', the Group 2 Prix Niel, which was run on good ground. He defeated a good field in ready fashion, beating Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Feed The Flame by two-and-a-half lengths, with French 2000 Guineas winner Marhaba Ya Sanafi back in fourth. 

Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, the representative for owners Liberty Racing, said: "We are very happy with him, we have him home in Munich and we will go to the Breeders' Cup or Japan, we will decide in the middle of October.

"We will not run in the Arc, we will give him a bit of a break, that's our decision.

"It's great, it's an adventure and he will go to Los Angeles or to Tokyo now.

"He needs good ground and we will get good ground in the United Stakes and Japan, at the Arc nobody knows what the ground will be.

"It will be softer than two weeks ago and we want to give him a bigger break."