He's Bad

Unbeaten in black-type company over extended trips, His Highness The Aga Khan's Vazirabad (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) looks to extend his sequence in Saturday's G1 Qatar Prix du Cadran at Chantilly. Successful in the G1 Prix Royal-Oak at Saint-Cloud in October, the homebred returned this year to capture the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan Mar. 26, the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier again at Saint-Cloud May 29 and the Sept. 11 G3 Prix Gladiateur at this venue. On the latter occasion, he was defying a penalty and he sets the standard now at a peak. Two British-trained raiders head the opposition in Sultan Ahmad Shah's G2 Lonsdale Cup winner Quest For More (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and the G2 Prix Kergorlay scorer Nearly Caught (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). Trainer Roger Charlton said of the former, who was impressive when winning that York marathon Aug. 19 and was subsequently runner-up in the G2 Doncaster Cup Sept. 9, “He seems in good form, although he's had a couple of tough races this year. As we know, he wants quick ground rather than slow ground, so let's hope the rain stays away from Chantilly. He's trying a slightly longer trip, but he appears to stay well and I hope he can get in the money. Vazirabad is the one they all have to beat really and then the rest have got similar lines of form. It's probably his last race of the year, so we'll give it a go.”