THE Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier is also likely to act as a springboard to Royal Ascot. This one mile and seven furlong event was won for a third consecutive year by Vazirabad, who is now set for his first tilt at the Gold Cup at Ascot, provided the ground is not too firm.

Trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre had only three weeks of proper preparation for this hat-trick bid after Vazirabad picked up a knock when winning the Dubai Gold Cup in Meydan. It mattered little, the Manduro gelding maintaining his record of only once having finished out of the first two in 18 lifetime pattern race starts with a neck defeat of Marmelo.