Ganay set to stage heavyweight clash between Vadeni and Luxembourg

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Vadeni is set for a mouthwatering early-season rematch with Luxembourg after connections confirmed the Prix Ganay as his likely comeback target.

A brilliant winner of last year’s French Derby, Vadeni was subsequently supplemented for the Coral-Eclipse and got the better of Mishriff and Native Trail to become the first French-trained winner of the Sandown showpiece in 62 years.

Trainer Jean-Claude Rouget immediately nominated Leopardstown’s Irish Champion Stakes – a race he won with Almanzor in 2016 – as the next port of call, but his latest middle-distance star had to make do with minor honours in third behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained Luxembourg.

The Ballydoyle handler revealed earlier this week he planned to send the latter to France to make his reappearance in the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp on April 30, a Group One contest in which Vadeni will make his first competitive appearance since finishing a half-length second to Sir Mark Prescott’s Alpinista in the Arc.

Georges Rimaud, racing manager for owner-breeder the Aga Khan, said: “Vadeni is training OK, he is going to run in the Prix Ganay and we’ll see from there.

“There is not much to say. The horse is fine and doing everything he is being asked to do. All is well.”

When it was suggested a Ganay outing would throw up an exciting clash with Luxembourg, Rimaud added: “That is what we are hoping for anyway. I don’t know if it will be exciting or what, but it will be interesting.”

Another Aga Khan-owned colt set to ply his trade at Group One level this season is Vadeni’s stablemate Erevann, who has won four of his five starts and rounded off 2022 with victory in the Prix Daniel Wildenstein on Arc weekend in Paris.

Connections have not got as far as firming up plans for his seasonal debut, but he appears unlikely to travel across the Channel for the Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in May.

“Erevann is the same – he is also doing well,” said Rimaud.

“We’ll decide soon where we go with him. He’ll run over a mile – he’s more of a miler, absolutely.

“He probably won’t go there (Newbury) for his introduction.”