Persian King spot on in French Two Thousand Guineas
Photo scoopdyga.com
The odds-on favourite Persian King (Kingman) did not falter in The Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French 2,000 Guineas - Gr1), and he won by a length over Shaman (Shamardal) and San Donato (Lope of Vega), who fought each other down to the post. Ridden by Pierre-Charles Boudot, the Godolphin and Ballymore Thoroughbred-owned colt, bred by the Wildensteins, took over by the rail by using the gap at the open-stretch. He took a bit of time to find momentum but finally dominated on a ground that was probably too soft for his liking. Graignes (Zoffany) finished well. For his return with an outside draw, Anodor (Anodin), the only horse to have beaten Persian King, finished well.
The athletic bay ran last year for his breeders Ballymore Thoroughbred. His sister by Australia was withdrawn from the Tattersalls October sales in October. His older maiden sister Pretty Spirit (Invincible Spirit), was sold € 150,000 last December at Arqana.
It is an outstanding bloodline. Pretty Please (Dylan Thomas), the dam of Persian King, won only one race for the Wildensteins, for her debut in April at 3, but she is nonetheless a sister to the sire Planteur, from the same family that the one of Policy Maker (Sadler's Wells) and, further down, Arc winner Peintre Célèbre (Nureyev).
Persian King is entered in both the QIPCO Prix du Jockey (Gr1) and the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (Gr1).