Old Persian

The performance that Old Persian put up in winning the Great Voltigeur Stakes may have been over-looked a little. The main St Leger talk after the race concerned Kew Gardens, who finished third under a 5lb penalty, and that is understandable. However, Old Persian was carrying a 3lb penalty and he won the race. He battled on well to do so too.

Always prominent, Charlie Appleby’s colt settled in second place behind Nelson, he moved into the lead at the top of the home straight, and he stayed on well from there to get the better of his better-fancied stable companion Cross Counter in a race that was run in a good time.

The Godolphin colt has now won four of his six races this season, including the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and now the Great Voltigeur. He continues to progress, and it may be that he is under-rated in the market for the St Leger now, a race that Godolphin have won six times. He is from the family of Miesque, but his dam is a half-sister to a Group 2 winner over 12f, and he races like he has every chance of staying the St Leger trip.

York, 22^nd August 2018