American St Leger scouting report: Wasir

Wasir has bottomless stamina, but his best chance is as a free-wheeling front runner, and he may get more pressure than he likes.

From the yard of Andreas Wohler, who trained Silvano to his 2001 Arlington Million (G1) victory and sent out Wake Forest to his sixth last year, Wasir is a lightly raced four-year-old. Between his stamina-laden pedigree and his late birthday as a May 2 foal, he’s understandably needed time to develop.

Wasir is by 2006 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) winner Rail Link out of Group 3-placed Wellola. His dam is by Lomitas (famous as the sire of Danedream) and herself a half-sister to Group 1 victor Well Made.

Unraced until last summer, Wasir romped at Bad Harzburg in his third career start. He nearly nicked a Baden-Baden race for graduates of the BBAG yearling sale, only to be nailed by the more experienced Nordic Flight (who was spotting Wasir 11 pounds). Previously the winner of the Iffezheimer Derby-Trial, Nordic Flight had been a 7-1 chance when 15th of 18 in the 2015 German Derby (G1).

 

Wasir stepped up to 1 3/4 miles on soft ground in last September’s German St Leger (G3). Unable to dictate on the front end after being passed by another committed pacesetter early, he wound up fourth. The BBAG race form held in that Nordic Flight was third, but Wasir was meeting him at level weights this time. Nordic Flight was subsequently bought by OTI Racing and transferred to Lee and Anthony Freedman in Australia, where he’s pointing to the upcoming Spring Carnival as a Cox Plate (G1) hopeful.

Making a quick turnaround for the extended two-mile, three-furlong-plus Silbernes Band at Cologne, Wasir worked his way forward to control the pace as he likes. But he was overtaken in the stretch by the older mare Alwilda and settled for second. The soft ground was an extenuating factor, as well as the fact that he was still strengthening up as a tender sophomore.