Old Persian Prevails in the Sheema Classic
| MEY, 6000000 | G1 Dubai Sheema Classic | (2410m) | Winner: Old Persian (GB), c, 4 by Dubawi (Ire) |
Old Persian | Racingfotos.com
It would seem that the good fortune surrounding Charlie Appleby’s stable just can’t be tempered, and the Godolphin trainer capped another dream day with a victory by Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the $6-million G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan. Prior to the card’s penultimate race, he had celebrated a one-two in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup with Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Ispolini (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a victory by Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint and, back in his homeland, a win in Doncaster’s valuable Lincoln H. with Auxerre (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}).
The 4-year-old Old Persian has developed an admirable profile that sets him up to be a key player in Europe’s middle-distance features this year. He first hit the spotlight in last year’s G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot, and after winning the G2 Great Voltigeur S. over Cross Counter he was put away after finishing fifth when stretched out for the G1 St Leger. Brought back to his favourite trip for the G2 Dubai City of Gold on Super Saturday, Old Persian had to shake off some dust to beat Racing History (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) by a short head, and the bay was well and truly at the top of his game on Saturday.
Able to clinch a ground-saving trip from the two hole, he sat about two lengths off the pace into the first turn as Japanese Derby winner Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) unexpectedly went wide to grab to the lead from Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while the 2017 Japan Cup winner Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) sat on Old Persian’s heels under Hugh Bowman down the backstretch. Old Persian had to move off the rail and thread a tight seam between Magic Wand and Hunting Horn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) at the top of the stretch, with meanwhile Cheval Grand switching even wider to Hunting Horn’s outside. Old Persian hit the front under mostly hand urging from William Buick at the 300 metre mark, and he was under a drive to hold off Cheval Grand and fellow Japanese raider Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}). He nonetheless hit the line a relatively comfortable 1 1/2 lengths to the better.
“It has just been a fantastic night, and I’m so pleased for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and the whole Godolphin team,” said Appleby. “They went a good sensible gallop and William made a sensible move turning for home to make his gap, allowing himself to get the run he needed. I knew the acceleration was there. He’s a class animal, a typical Dubawi who has made that great progression.”
Buick added, “He got a lovely trip around and, even when Christophe [Lemaire on Rey de Oro] slackened the pace about halfway, we were in a good spot. It was just a question of getting the splits. I have to give credit to the horse–he finds his own passage and, from three to four, he’s really improved and he has a big turn of foot now. It was a beautiful performance from the horse.”
Hugh Bowman said of the runner-up, “He’s a very consistent horse. He was a bit slow to jump, which I didn’t want to happen, but I was pleased with where I settled. I thought the pace was quite strong early, it slowed up in the middle stages but it wasn’t a joke. It was a bit of a sprint home, which played into the winner’s hands, but my bloke ran his heart out and I’m very proud of him. It’s been a great first experience riding at Meydan, but obviously it would have been nice to win.”
Pedigree Notes
Old Persian hails from the family of the great racemare and producer Miesque (Nureyev), his fourth dam, Pasadoble (Prove Out) having produced that two-time GI Breeders’ Cup Mile winner and dam of leading sire Kingmambo and four other stakes winners. The third dam Massaraat, a full-sister to Miesque, is the second dam of another of Godolphin’s recent King Edward VII S. winners in Permian (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who sadly died later on in his 3-year-old campaign. Old Persian’s dam, Indian Petal (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), is a full-sister to the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Silkwood (GB) and a half to the G2 Cherry Hinton S. winner Silent Honor (Ire) (Sunday Silence) and to the dam of the G2 Al Rashidiya S. and G3 Dubai Millennium S. winner Leshlaa (Street Cry {Ire}). Indian Petal’s current 3-year-old Chapelli (GB) (Poet’s Voice {GB}) was third in last year’s Listed Dragon S., while she has a 2-year-old filly by Pivotal (GB) and a yearling full-brother to Old Persian to follow. (fonte : DRC)
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