Persica
Persica put up a big effort to come from the rear to finish fifth in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot on Tuesday. Taken back immediately by Sean Levey from his outside draw, stall 16, widest of all, he was settled at the back of the field, 16th of the 16 runners, and he remained in last place until they straightened up for home. Moved towards the inside on the run to the two-furlong marker, he charted his way through traffic. He wasn't checked in his run, he wasn't an unlucky loser or anything, he couldn't match the turn of foot that the winner Map Of Stars conjured out in the centre, but he stayed on well among horses to take fifth place, closest at the finish.
This was another good run by Richard Hannon's horse. Only just thwarted by Seagulls Eleven on his previous run in his bid to win back-to-back renewals of the Group 3 Diomed Stakes on Derby weekend at Epsom last time, just 11 days earlier, he did well to get as close as he got here, trying to make his ground into a quickening pace and recording a finishing speed of over 108% of overall speed. He was fastest through the fourth last and third last furlongs, and he was second fastest through the second last and last furlongs. He proved here too that he can operate at Ascot, a track at which he had been well beaten in each of his previous two runs. He goes well at Newmarket and Epsom too, where his record reads 112, and he is one for one at Sandown, so he will be of interest at any of those tracks now. He is not unexposed, but he is in the form of his life, and he is probably at his best over nine or 10 furlongs.
Ascot, 16th June 2026
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