Vazirabad entered into an elite circle of dual winners of the Prix Royal-Oak on Sunday at Saint-Cloud, becoming the fourth horse to secure successive editions of the Group 1 contest.

The title-holder was waited with in the early stages of the strongly-run race and Christophe Soumillon asked him to make his move through the field in the final straight. Vazirabad ran out a convincing winner of the 3100 metre stamina test, from Endless Time in second place and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe fourth Siljan’s Saga in third. Alain de Royer Dupré’s charge had already lifted the Prix Royal-Oak last autumn aged just three years old and he was winning his ninth career victory, of which seven have come at Group level. Vazirabad’s successes include the Gr.2 Dubai Gold Cup this year and the son of Manduro is likely to return to Meydan with this race as his first target for 2017.

Vazirabad is out of Linamix mare Visorama, winner of the Gr.3 Prix de Flore and third in the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. Visorama has given birth to seven winners in total, and notably Listed victrix and Group placed Visoriyna.

Across the globe, the association between the Aga Khan Studs and Arrowfield Stud was to the fore as Azazel, bred in partnership by the two operations, impressed with a winning debut in the Listed Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley. The juvenile colt by Snitzel is out of the unraced Aga Khan Studs mare Allariza (Linamix), and he was bought on behalf of his owners by trainer Tony McEvoy for Aus$310,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Azazel is set to step up immediately in grade, with the Gr.3 Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington his next objective on Melbourne Cup day.