BRITISH and Irish challengers were out of luck as Vazirabad successfully defended his crown in the Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud.

Alain de Royer-Dupre's charge was the 13-8 favourite to go one better than when narrowly denied by Roger Charlton's Quest For More in the Prix du Cadran at Chantilly earlier in the month and after battling his way to the front, the four-year-old galloped all the way to the line under Christophe Soumillon to claim his second Group 1 success. Godolphin filly Endless Time was best of the raiding party in second.

Charlie Appleby's inmate was last seen filling the runner-up spot in the Prix Vermeille and saw out the distance well on her first attempt over almost two miles. Siljan's Saga, fourth in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, finished strongly to grab third. Saeed bin Suroor's Sky Hunter and the only Irish-trained participant, Tony Martin's Quick Jack, both performed creditably.

Soumillon was completing a big-race double having earlier steered the Luca Cumani-trained Loving Things to Group 3 success in the Prix de Flore.John Gosden's Furia Cruzada was third and Roger Varian's Sharja Queen was sixth.