By Heather Anderson
His Highness the Aga Khan's 2015 G1 Prix Royal-Oak hero Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) gave France its first win in the 3200-metre $1-million G2 Dubai Gold Cup and trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre his second Dubai World Cup night victory, when crossing the line a neck to the good of the stubborn Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}). Also the second win for His Highness the Aga Khan, the owner/trainer duo landed the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic with Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}) in 2015.
“His main quality is that he has a big turn of foot and we're not afraid to use it,” commented an understandably jubilant Alain de Royer-Dupre. “He was a little tired at the end, perhaps he came too soon.”
His Highness the Aga Khan's racing manager Georges Rimaud concurred and said, “I was a little anxious when he was behind most of the field, but he handled the turn very well and once he started to improve I knew his very good acceleration would come into play. The second horse [Big Orange {GB}] has great stamina, so it was an excellent effort from our horse.”
Saturday, Meydan, Middle East
DUBAI GOLD CUP SPONSORED BY AL TAYER MOTORS-G2, $1,000,000, MEY, 3-26, NH4yo/up & SH3yo/up, 3200mT, 3:19.56, gd.
1–VAZIRABAD (FR), 122, g, 4, by Manduro (Ger)
1st Dam: Visorama (Ire) (GSW & GISP-Fr, $181,397), by Linamix (Fr)
2nd Dam: Visor, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Look, by Spectacular Bid
O-H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR);
T-Alain de Royer-Dupre; J-Christophe Soumillon. $600,000.
Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Fr, at 14f+,G1SW-Fr, 8-6-1-0, $1,024,025. *1/2 to Visoriyna (Fr)
(Dansili {GB}), SW & MGSP-Fr, $139,138. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Big Orange (GB), 126, g, 5, Duke of Marmalade (Ire)–Miss
Brown To You (Ire), by Fasliyev. O-W J & T C O Gredley;
B-Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs (GB); T-Michael Bell.
$200,000.[bullet ad=”irt-shell”]3–Haafaguinea (GB), 126, g, 6, Haafhd (GB)–Ha'penny Beacon
(GB), by Erhaab. (30,000gns Ylg '11 TAOOCT). O-Sheikh Rashid
Dalmook Al Maktoum;
B-Bishop Wilton Stud (GB); T-Saeed bin Suroor. $100,000.
Margins: NK, 4 3/4, NO.
Also Ran: Suegioo (Fr), Meadow Creek (GB), Manatee (GB), Tellina (SAf), Neo Black Dia (Jpn), Star Empire (SAf), Certerach (Ire), Paradise (Ger).
Click for the Racing Post chart, the AM Wager PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
It was public knowledge that the French highweight had shipped poorly–sustaining some scrapes on his forehead when anxious and losing some weight during the travel–but de Royer-Dupre was adamant that Vazirabad had regained all of the pounds lost prior to this first attempt at 3200 metres.
Favored to make it six on the bounce, the grey was caught flat-footed at the break, but Christophe Soumillon didn't panic and settled him near the tail of the field one off the fence past the stands the first time. Meanwhile at the head of affairs, 2014 Dubai Gold Cup hero Certerach (Ire) (Halling) had quickly established a decent gallop while shadowed by G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup fifth-place finisher Big Orange. It was a break of five lengths back to the meat of the field, with Japan's Neo Black Dia (Jpn) (Zenno Rob Roy {Jpn}) sitting in third. Certerach cut out the first mile in 1:41.5 with positions largely unchanged, as Vazirabad remained well covered up. Angled into the three path on the final bend, the lanky gelding began to wind up, though he still had substantial work to do. Certerach gave way to Big Orange under an animated James Spencer inside the final quarter-mile and the latter kicked for home, but Vazirabad was gaining with great bounds well off the fence. Inside the final furlong, Vazirabad pounced, and, although Big Orange refused to throw in the towel and stayed on dourly, he lacked the winner's late dash, settling a neck behind. It was tight for third, with only a nose separating Haafaguinea (GB) and Suegioo (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}).
Big Orange's conditioner Michael Bell was still upbeat, despite the loss, saying, “That was a huge run. The favourite is a very good horse and he made him pull out all the stops. It couldn't have gone better, the race went beautifully apart from the fact he got beat a neck. We'll make a plan when we get home, but that tees us up nicely for a big year.”
Beginning his career at Longchamp last May, Vazirabad reported home sixth in his only unplaced effort, before improving to take second stepped up to 1 7/8 miles at Dieppe a month later. Off the mark over that course and distance July 18, the grey began his flawless association with regular pilot Christophe Soumillon next out, rattling off an allowance score transferred to Deauville over firm turf Aug. 4 and adding his first black-type tally in the G3 Prix de Lutece back at Longchamp Sept. 6. The stakes kept getting higher, but Vazirabad proved worthy, romping by three lengths in the G2 Qatar Prix Chaudenay Oct. 3 and signed off his sophomore year in the aforementioned soft-ground G1 Prix Royal-Oak going 1 15/16 miles at Saint-Cloud Oct. 25.
Out of Visorama (Ire) (Linamix {Fr}), who scored her biggest win in the G3 Prix de Flore as a sophomore and added a third-place finish in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud as a 4-year-old, Vazirabad is the most distinguished of her produce to date. The year older French stakes winner Visoriyna (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) has also completed the frame in the G3 Prix de Lieurey and G3 Prix Perth. Visorama is a full to Prix Matchem victor and G1 French 2000 Guineas third-place finisher Visionary (Fr); and French multiple Group 1-placed Visionnaire (Fr); and is a half to French highweight and G1 Prix de la Foret hero Varenar (Fr) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}), as well as GSW Visindar (GB) (Sinndar {Ire}).
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