By Tom Frary
Upset on his return when second in the Listed Prix de Montretout over a mile at Chantilly June 10, Godolphin and Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd's Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) was back in shape and on track in Sunday's G2 Prix du Muguet at Saint-Cloud. Taken straight to the lead by Pierre-Charles Boudot, last year's G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero was threatened and briefly headed by the G3 Prix Bertrand du Breuil winner Pretreville (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}) passing two out. Quickly regaining the advantage, the 3-5 favourite finished full of running to beat that rival by 1 1/4 lengths, with 3/4 of a length back to Skalleti (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) in third.
“I knew after his last race that he would come on a lot for it and that's exactly what happened,” Boudot said. “He was very relaxed in front and when they made their move and he was slightly outpaced but then he quickened and showed a very nice action. I still had something left at the end, he was far from finished so that's a very good sign and also we know he'll go a bit further.” Making his first appearance since finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club when caught out in the Montretout, the imposing Persian King can now go back to the top level after two sharpeners. That could come in the G1 Prix d'Ispahan at Chantilly July 19 according to Boudot. “I think his next target is the Prix d'Ispahan and I am sure that another furlong will be okay for him,” he added.
Persian King's dam Pretty Please (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) is a three-parts sister to the G1 Prix Ganay hero Planteur (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and a half to the dual listed winner Pilote d'Essai (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The third dam Palmeraie (Lear Fan) is kin to three black-type winners, most notably the GII Long Island H. heroine Peinture Bleue (Alydar) who later produced the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero and leading sire Peintre Celebre.
Sunday, Saint-Cloud, France
PRIX DU MUGUET-G2, €90,000, Saint-Cloud, 6-28, 4yo/up, 8fT, 1:39.09, g/s.
1–PERSIAN KING (IRE), 126, c, 4, by Kingman%20(GB)#tot">Kingman (GB)
1st Dam: Pretty Please (Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire)
2nd Dam: Plante Rare (Ire), by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Palmeraie, by Lear Fan
O-Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd & Godolphin; B-Dayton Investments (Breeding) Ltd (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €51,300. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Fr & GSW-Eng, 9-6-3-0, €863,492. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Pretreville (Fr), 126, h, 5, Acclamation (GB)–Pegase Hurry, by Fusaichi Pegasus. (€100,000 Ylg '16 AROCT). O-Gerard Augustin-Normand; B-Serge Boucheron (FR); T-Pascal Bary. €19,800.
3–Skalleti (Fr), 128, g, 5, Kendargent (Fr)–Skallet (Fr), by Muhaymin. (€85,000 Ylg '16 ARAUG). O-Jean-Claude Seroul; B-Guy Pariente Holding (FR); T-Jerome Reynier. €9,450.
Margins: 1 1/4, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.60, 2.40, 4.90.
Also Ran: We Ride The World (Ire), Suphala (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
