Manatee's Saint-Cloud Challenge

Time/Date - 14.35 hrs local time/Sunday, May 29, 2016
Racecourse/Country - Saint-Cloud/France
Surface/Distance - Turf/1m 7f 110y

Manatee takes on old rival Vazirabad again in the G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier over just shy of two miles at Saint-Cloud, France, on Sunday, May 29.

They have clashed twice before, with Vazirabad winning on both occasions, most recently in the two-mile G2 Dubai Gold Cup Sponsored by Al Tayer Motors at Meydan, UAE, on March 26, when five-year-old Manatee came home sixth.

Vazirabad also captured the G1 Prix Royal-Oak, run over the same course and distance as the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier in October, with Manatee keeping on at the same pace to finish fifth.

Manatee (Andre Fabre/Mickael Barzalona) raced over a mile and a half for much of last year, and ran a sound race to finish 11th of 17, beaten seven and a quarter lengths by Golden Horn, in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

He kept on when fourth in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and gained a comfortable success in the G2 Grand Prix de Chantilly a year ago.

Lisa-Jane Graffard of Godolphin commented: "Manatee is in good form.

"We felt that he wasn't quite 100 per cent out in Dubai and he has been given plenty of time to come back to his best.

"Running against Vazirabad again is a big challenge but Manatee ran well at Saint-Cloud last year a couple of times and the ground should be on the soft side, which will also help.

"This is a bit of a fact-finding mission to see if he can go to Royal Ascot for the Gold Cup and we are hoping that he can run well."

The field of four for the Prix Vicomtesse Vigier also includes Fly With Me, who won the race in 2014, and G2 Prix Maurice de Nieuil victor Walzertakt.