The newly upgraded £500,000 G1 Qatar Goodwood Cup could see the reappearance of HRH The Aga Khan's MG1SW Vazirabad (Fr) (Manduro {Ger}) on Aug. 1. The two-mile contest sees 29 stand their ground at this acceptance stage, with the Alain de Royer Dupre runner missing Royal Ascot after sustaining an injury in a winning effort in the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier at Chantilly on May 28.
“We are going very slowly because it is not completely healed,” his trainer commented. “The plan is to go to Goodwood but it depends on when we can get him back to normal training. The Gold Cup would have been a typical race for Vazirabad because when they have a lot of pace, he has a very strong turn of foot. Big Orange won well but Vazirabad has beaten him twice in the [G2] Dubai Gold Cup.”
The first two finishers of the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, Michael Bell charge Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}) who saluted in last year's edition of the Goodwood Cup and Order Of St George (Ire) (), are both in the current line up, as is 2016 G1 Epsom Derby second US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Royal Ascot G2 Queen's Vase victor Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
