Cirrus Des Aigles could finish only fourth to Now We Can on his seasonal reappearance in the Prix Meydan Hotel at Chantilly.

Now an eight-year-old, the Corine Barande-Barbe-trained stalwart has never before won first-up after a break so the result should probably not come as too much of a shock.

Christophe Soumillon attempted to lead all the way on the triple Group One winner, but he was a sitting duck inside the final furlong (200m).

Cirrus Des Aigles creditably stuck to his task, but had no answer to the finishing kick of Now We Can, with Nicolas Clement's five-year-old holding off Mortga and Zazou in a tight finish.

Barande-Barbe said the 1900m was short of his best and she was pleased with his effort.

The plan for Cirrus Des Aigles is the Dubai Sheema Classic, a race he won in 2012, at Meydan later this month.

Now We Can will head to the Gold Cup at the Dubai meeting.