ALMANZOR did not progress as quickly as hoped by Jean-Claude Rouget, so the colt will start his four-year-old career in the Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville on 15 August.

The son of Wootton Bassett won the Prix du Jockey Club and both the Irish and Qipco Champion Stakes last year, and he may well be starting a build up to another trip to Leopardstown and the last Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Chantilly.