Vazirabad Wins Royal-Oak, 'Cirrus' Fourth
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Vazirabad turned in a career-defining performance Oct. 25 at Longchamp, taking charge late to defeat older runners, including seven-time group I winner Cirrus des Aigles, in the Prix Royal-Oak (Fr-I, French St. Leger).
With Cirrus des Aigles prominent early in his first long-distance race, Christophe Soumillon positioned the winner next to last in the 13-horse field. Vazirabad maintained a steady rally to snatch the lead from Siljan's Saga in the final 100 yards and win by a length, with pacesetter Mille Et Mille third, five lengths back, and Cirrus de Aigles fourth
Mille Et Mille set a dawdling pace and Cirrus des Aigles was third along rail before finding it difficult to overtake the front-runner in the straight. Siljan's Saga surged from midfield to snatch command from those two nearing the furlong marker but had no extra when Vazirabad came calling.
"This is the first time we have really asked a serious question of him and he did it well," winning trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre told Racing Post. "When you run a 3-year-old against his elders, you have to play on the younger horse's turn of foot. Up until now he has done everything easily, but this was a different test and he showed his class."
Vazirabad finished 3,100 meters (about 1 15/16 miles) in 3:27.61 on soft turf.
Vazirabad, a homebred for the Aga Khan, landed his third successive group win and first at the highest level. Coming in with wins in the Prix de Lutece (Fr-II) Sept. 6 and the Qatar Prix Chaudenay (Fr-II) Oct. 3, both at Longchamp, the French-bred son of Manduro took his career line to 5-1-0 from seven career starts
Vazirabad's dam is French group III winner Visorama, a Linamix mare who has produced seven winners from as many to race. He is a half brother to French group III-placed stakes winner Visoriyna.
Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe admitted the French St. Leger distance may have been too far for Cirrus des Aigles, looking to halt a three-race winless stretch.
"He ran very well, but he was just caught a little for speed when they went for home," she said. "Frankie (Dettori) told me that he ran very well but it was just a little too far."