Aidan O'Brien has nominated Ruler Of The World and Chicquita as his two likely starters in Sunday's €5 million Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

It is a decision that appears to rule out this year’s dual-Derby hero Australia from Europe’s richest race in favour of a trip to Ascot’s Champions Day meeting a fortnight later.

Ireland’s top trainer had already described as “unlikely” a move back up to a mile-and-a-half at Longchamp for Australia who now looks to have a choice between the English Champion Stakes and the QEII over a mile next month. Although his star three-year-old will be absent from Paris this weekend, O’Brien will be well represented throughout Sunday’s Group One extravaganza.

“There are two in the Arc, Ruler Of The World and Chicquita. Gleneagles is in the colts race [Prix Jean Luc Lagadere] and so is War Envoy. The filly that was third in the Moyglare [Found] is there [Prix Marcel Boussac] and Darwin is in the seven-furlong race [Prix la Foret].”

Tapestry is also a Ballydoyle possible for the Prix de l'Opera but interest is now likely to focus on jockey arrangements for the Arc with a decision on who will ride last year's Epsom Derby winner Ruler Of The World reportedly not likely to be made until the middle of this week. Frankie Dettori rode the colt to win the Prix Foy at Longchamp earlier this month as part of his job for the Qatari Al Shaqab team who bought into Ruler Of The World over the winter.

One of the conditions of the deal was reportedly that the son of Galileo would remain Joseph O’Brien’s ride, but he was unavailable to ride him in the Foy. Al Shaqab spokesman Harry Herbert has said “the decision on Ruler Of The World is always done by the Irish team . . . Obviously we hope Frankie will be riding, but it all depends what else is running, how the horse [is] and all the rest of it.”

Dettori has ridden three Arc winners and one more will put him among one of the most exclusive groups in European racing. Just half a dozen riders hold the Arc record on four victories, the last of whom was Oliver Peslier who scored a fourth on Solmeia in 2012.

O’Brien’s other Arc contender for 2014, Chicquita – the most expensive horse sold at auction in Ireland at €6 million – had her first start for O’Brien when chasing home Trafasha in the Blandford Stakes this month. Last year’s Irish Oaks winner has form that ties in with Arc title-holder Treve having chased home her former compatriot in last year’s French Oaks.

A strong Irish contingent is set to travel to France with sprint star Sole Power likely to be joined in the Prix de l’Abbaye by a Ballydoyle juvenile The Great War. “He’s a fast horse who likes fast ground . . . There is a chance he could be supplemented for the Abbaye,” said O’Brien.

Gordon Lord Byron, a Foret winner in 2012 and runner-up last year, is set to have another shot at Europe’s sole seven-furlong Group One prize.