Through France’s official racehorse retraining charity Au-Delà des Pistes, the multiple G1 winner who carried the famous green-and-red silks with such distinction is building a second career
Where once endurance was his forte, going long-distance on the racecourse as well as on his travels, elegance is now his greatest attribute.
Top-class French stayer Vazirabad has made a foot-perfect transition from the racecourse to the dressage arena, a seamless transformation from flagbearer for his famous connections to flagship for the most worthy of causes.
The dashing grey, bred by HH the Aga Khan and one of the best Cup horses ever to race in his owner’s celebrated green-and-red silks, was a prolific winner at home and abroad.
He came within three-quarters of a length of wearing the ultimate long-distance crown when runner-up to the great Stradivarius in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot on his final start. Vazirabad left the stage with praise ringing in his ears, and a notable caveat regarding his next adventure.
“As a trainer you are always very fond of horses who can pick up so quickly and are just exceptional,” trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre told the Racing Post when announcing his stable star’s retirement from the racetrack.
“The way Vazirabad finished his races in Dubai was so impressive. He always looked like he was out of the race down the back straight but he just had an extraordinary turn of foot.
“But he isn’t a horse you can just turn out in a field. He will need to be ridden, because he has been in training for a long time.”
The hint was explicit, and taken. Vazirabad has not been turned out into a field and left to dream of past glories, but is busy building a second career through the good work of France’s official racehorse retraining charity Au-Delà des Pistes. He remains the property of the Aga Khan Studs, but he is also the daily delight of Gaelle Jonchery, whose SG Eventing yard is in Rouvres, north-east of Paris, not far from where it all began for Vazirabad at the Aga Khan’s estate at Aiglemont.
“I manage a stable of around 30 horses – with my partner Salomé – as a rider and teacher,” says Jonchery. “Our work varies from breaking-in to competition, as well as caring for and preparing training programmes for each horse.
“When we started working with Thoroughbreds, we decided to start retraining racehorses. We really like these horses for their temperament and their ability to adapt, so we made the connection with Au-Delà des Pistes.
Equine ambassador
“With the charity, as well as retraining Thoroughbreds assigned to us, we take part with our Thoroughbreds in international equestrian sports shows and demonstration days at racecourses [Journée de la Reconversion de Chevaux de Courses - JRCC].
“After seeing several of our demonstrations, the Aga Khan Studs entrusted Vazirabad to us to be an ambassador for Au-Delà des Pistes,” Jonchery goes on.
“Following several months’ work, and exhibitions at racecourses on days dedicated to showcasing retraining, it was agreed that I could prepare him for dressage competitions. Last year he finished on the podium several times, won a test, and we even took part in the French Teachers’ Championship.”
Vazirabad has found his way to a different destination, although the journey was not altogether straightforward, as might be expected. Along the way he lost his racing name in favour of something snappier, more affectionate – “We call him Zizou now,” says Jonchery – and then had to acquire something that is much less easily endowed.
“Zizou is a very sensitive horse and, surprisingly, very unsure of himself,” says Jonchery. “He needs a lot of time to gain confidence in everything around him.
“On the other hand, he’s very intelligent and learns quickly, but you have to take time to explain things to him properly and let him think it through. I think that now he knows me, he really trusts me.
“It was through giving him my confidence that his self-confidence grew enormously. Since then, when he’s apprehensive, he gets over it much more easily because he knows he can trust me.”
It is usually unwise to ascribe human qualities to animals, but Vazirabad has had to cope with the same uncertainty, the same self-doubt, as any person might when they stop doing something they are very good at and have to begin again at the bottom in an unfamiliar sphere. The adjustment is often difficult, but the right attitude counts for a lot.
Very attentive, very generous
“He works hard, he’s very attentive, very generous,” says Jonchery. “He has a lovely stride, he works hard, has good rhythm and is well-balanced.
“When he returned to Deauville [where he won a conditions race in August 2015] with me, he immediately understood that it was no longer a question of ‘speed’ but of working calmly and showing off his new skills.”
There are also perks in this line of work that don’t come so easily to racehorses in training, as Vazirabad has discovered. The pace of life is now a little slower, and that suits him just fine.
“Everyone loves him at the stables – he’s a very friendly horse,” reports Jonchery. “Children can pet him and take him out to graze, and he loves being given carrots by children on his public appearances on the racecourse.
“And you’d never imagine that he’s an ex-racer when he goes from his box to the arena or the paddock – he couldn’t go any slower!
“One of my favourite moments with him was at Compiegne racecourse when, after he had shown off his dressage skills, his former jockey Christophe Soumillon came out to join us.
“Zizou was delighted to meet his old friend. He was very relaxed, so comfortable in his new situation that he just put his head down and started to eat – such a powerful image, an ex-racer just grazing on the track.”
Considerable impact
The heavyweight nature of Vazirabad’s career on the track, allied to his evident suitability and adaptability for his new role, has made him a flagship example for the progress made in the rehabilitation and retraining landscape by Au-Delà des Pistes, which was founded in 2016 and has had a considerable impact within a short time.
Jonchery – grateful for the opportunity to work with the charity and, naturally, with Vazirabad himself – is an enthusiastic advocate for the scope and scale of its achievements.
“Au-Delà des Pistes is an essential resource for the racing industry and also vital for bridging the gap between the racing and the equestrian worlds, through its financial and administrative assistance to support Thoroughbreds in their second life, and its promotions to highlight the qualities of these horses before, during and after their retraining,” she says, before moving from the general to the specific, returning with pleasure to her own pride and joy.
“On the dressage showgrounds Zizou is just another sport horse. Nobody knows who he is, what a remarkable racing career he had, or even what breed he is. But I know, and I’m proud of him, and proud of the trust placed in us to represent these Thoroughbreds.”
• Visit the Au-Delà des Pistes website and the Aga Khan Studs website
A life after racing: ‘Thoroughbreds can do anything’ – spotlight on global aftercare efforts
View the latest TRC Global Rankings for horses / jockeys / trainers / sires