Winning trainer, Hughie Morrison, told the Racing Post, "He's the oldest winner of this event and has succeeded to win his first group I race at 10. Just fantastic!" Morrison went on to state, "I can't understand why there isn't a proper race over this sort of trip in the Breeders' Cup, instead of all these shorter races on the dirt. It's very boring in the United States."Alcazar, who is lightly raced considering is age, will stay in training in 2006, and will look to add to his group I glory.
Alcazar defied the calendar on Sunday and became only the second 10-year-old to win a group I race in Europe, defeating his younger rivals when winning the Prix Royal-Oak (Fr-I) at Longchamp. In doing so, he won his first group I stakes race in his 28th career start. He also lived up to the old French adage, "C'est dans de vieux pots que vous faites le meilleur potage", or "It's in old pots that you make the best soup".Alcazar's neck victory over the 4-year-old Reefscape reversed the form of the Prix du Cadran (Fr-I) run earlier in October, in which Reefscape won by two lengths. The 3-year-old filly, Shamdala, was third.
