Excellent King Edward VII Stakes win by Old Persian completes winning Royal Ascot for Godolphin

Sport360 staff 11:19 24/06/2018
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  • William Buick guiding Old Persian to victory at Royal Ascot

    Old Persian ran on gamely to gain a first G2 success in the King Edward VII Stakes over a mile and a half at Royal Ascot on Friday.

    The three-year-old Dubawi colt, stepping up in class and trip for trainer Charlie Appleby after scoring over 10 furlongs in the Listed Newmarket Stakes on May 19, tacked across from his wide draw to race in third initially before moving up to second after the first quarter of a mile.

    He pressed Raa Atoll for the advantage turning for home, took a narrow lead approaching the two-furlong pole and then went clear under William Buick a furlong from home.

    Old Persian bravely saw off challenges of Rostropovich and Giuseppe Garibaldi, galloping on strongly to score by a length and three-quarters in 2m 29.95s on good to firm turf.

    Charlie Appleby declared “We had a great team of two-year-olds last year, and I felt they all wintered well and came into the spring in great nick.

    “This horse has done nothing but progress through the spring, and we felt this was the right race for him and that stepping up in trip would suit.

    “We were confident and I told Will to go forward with Old Persian, and if someone wanted to take the lead, then we would be delighted.

    “You saw William make a great manoeuvre after the first two furlongs. He just sat on Frankie’s (Dettori) quarters because we know Frankie on the front end is always dangerous, and when he looked through his legs and had everyone stacked up behind I knew William was in the right place.

    “I was so pleased half a mile out with the way Old Persian was travelling and once this horse hit the front I was confident he would see it out well given the pace they had gone. He had shown a turn of foot over a mile and a quarter so I knew what he could do.

    “He’s a typical son of Dubawi – he’s improved from two to three and I’m sure he will progress from three to four. We wanted to mind him because we liked him and felt he had the scope to become a good horse.

    “It’s still a building stage. Oscar Urbina rides him every day now, but Jen, who led him up, rode him as a two-year-old, but happily held her hands up and said he had become too much for her between two to three, so Oscar popped on and it’s worked out well and produced the horse for today – it’s a real team effort.”

    Asked if the final British Classic, the St Leger at Doncaster in September, could figure in Old Persian’s plans, the trainer replied “William said it could be something to keep an eye on, but I’m happy to stay at a mile and a half given the pace he has shown at shorter trips. I’ve put him in the Grand Prix de Paris (G1, 12f, Longchamp, July 14], and that is one for option.

    “I am delighted for the whole team. This is what Royal Ascot is all about.”

    William Buick reflected: “The pace was slow and I moved up a position halfway down the back, down the hill, just because I knew my horse would benefit from the extra two furlongs.

    “Charlie has always said that Old Persian wants a mile and a half and this was his first time over the trip. We hoped he would improve for it and he did.

    “I wanted to make sure that stamina came into play, I wanted to be in a position that I could do something about it in the straight. As you could see, his last furlong was his strongest so it is a very, very pleasing performance.

    “I had to take it up because he has such a big, lovely stride, and I did not want the race turning into too much of a sprint. He was a willing partner and saw it out well to the line. He is a lovely horse for the future.

    “He could be a St Leger horse – obviously Sheikh Mohammed and Charlie will discuss it.”

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