A rain affected track added a new level of difficulty to the running of the G1 The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Poulains on Sunday but it proved to be nothing Godolphin and Ballymore Thoroughbred’s Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) couldn’t handle at ParisLongchamp.
Breaking from the barriers with his ears pricked, the race favourite was content to gallop on the rail just inside Godolphin stablemate Munitions (USA) (War Front {USA}) in fourth during the 1600 metre race. As the field entered the straight, the colt took advantage of open running room down the fence and took over the lead just outside the final 200 metres.
Persian King
He proved to live up to his race favouritism from there with a one length victory over Shaman (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}). After the race trainer Andre Fabre pointed to the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club as a likely next target.
The ground didn’t help, as he is such a great mover with a beautiful action but he showed courage,” Fabre told Thoroughbred Daily News. “On top of his ability and consistency, he’s also a game horse built more for Cheltenham! He has proved his quality yet again and has done nothing wrong. He’s in all those big races, but the [June 2 G1 Prix du] Jockey Club [at Chantilly] is very tempting. It looks like he’ll stay another quarter of a mile.”
The victory was the first classic win for Persian King’s sire Kingman (GB), whose first foals of racing age are three this year. The win comes just a week after his own sire Invincible Spirit (Ire) earned a first British classic victory with Magna Grecia (Ire) last Saturday.
The result recorded the 300th Group 1 win for Godolphin worldwide.
Castle Lady Gives Godolphin Classic Double
Just 35 minutes after Godolphin won the Poule d’Essai des Poulains with Persian King (Ire), they were back in the winner’s enclosure for the fillies version of the race in the Group 1 The Emirates Poule d’Essai des Pouliches.
Castle Lady (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) put up a gutsy performance to keep her unbeaten record intact and win her first Group 1 in three career starts.
Castle Lady and connections
The filly raced close behind the leaders in the 1600 metre race two paths off the rail with jockey Michael Barzalona angling her out to give her clear running room in the straight. She was pushed out slightly by Suphala (Fr) (Frankel {GB}) as she passed that rival but quickly put that horse behind her and raced to the lead with 200 metres left to run. Commes (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) wasn’t going to let her have clear sailing however, fighting to the line and closing the margin to a nose at the end.
“I was not worried about the ground, but I was maybe more concerned about the trip which is her limit,” trainer Henri-Alex Pantall told Thoroughbred Daily News. “She’s not in the Diane and anyway I don’t think she’ll stay that trip, but she is entered at Royal Ascot in the [June 21 G1] Coronation S., so that’s most probably where she will go next.”
Castle Lady is by Shamardal, who shuttled to Australia from 2005 to 2010 and sired 25 southern hemisphere born stakes winners including five Group 1 winners.
