Persian King (Ire)

In the space of two and a half minutes at a rain-soaked ParisLongchamp, Wathnan's Best Secret (Persian King) became the operation's worst kept secret as he produced an impressive display to take the G3 Prix d'Hedouville. Sporting the second colours in the mile-and-a-half test with the ultimately disappointing Map Of Stars (Sea The Stars) also in attendance, the Stephane Wattel-trained four-year-old who registered a win in a valuable handicap at the Qatar Goodwood Festival in July and beat the well-regarded Gethin in Saint-Cloud's Listed Prix Turenne in September was held...

With luminaries such as Bering, Helissio and Calandagan on the roll of honour, the Mauricio Delcher Sanchez-conditioned stakes debutant Pearled Majesty (Persian King) joined exalted company with a pillar-to-post triumph in Sunday's 10 1/2-furlong G3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp. Quickly away from the outside stall for an early advantage, the 31-5 chance was committed by Christophe Soumillon once into the straight and maintained a relentless tempo under continued rousting to easily hold the closing pack--headed by Space Waltz (American Pharoah)--by 1 1/4 lengths. Pearled Majesty took three goes to shed...

Allowed her own way in front in Sunday's G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux, Concorde Agreement (Persian King) punished her peers with a dynamic display to dominate ParisLongchamp's nine-furlong Classic pointer. "She's confirmed what I thought of her--I don't have a lot of horses but her preparation had gone well," Groualle said of Concorde Agreement, who races for the American owner Chris Baccari, Hubert Guy, Jean-Philippe Dubois and Arthur Pean and is entered in the Prix de Diane. "I'm not saying she's as good as him, but she has the...

Saturday's flurry of TDN Rising Stars continued when Carlos and Yann Lerner trainee Evita (Persian King) made every yard of the running in Chantilly's Prix de Toutevoie to become the first Rising Star for her sire. Persian King, himself a Rising Star, joined the ranks at this venue in 2018. "For a long time we thought that this is a quality filly," revealed Yann Lerner. "Looking at the first race it seemed that making up ground was difficult, so I told Christophe [Soumillon] not to hesitate because she is very...

Francis Graffard trainee Cankoura (Persian King) was last seen running third in June's G1 Prix de Diane and bounced back in style to register a first pattern-race triumph for her second-crop sire in Sunday's G3 Sky Sports Racing Prix de Psyche at Deauville. "On the formline, she was the hot favourite and probably should have won today, but you're never quite sure," said Aga Khan Studs' Nemone Routh. "She was drawn seven of seven, Mickael [Barzalona] got a nice position on her, but he had to bring her out quite...

Sporting the Aga Khan silks so synonymous with the French Classics, the G1 Prix de Diane entry Cankoura (Fr) (Persian King {Ire}--Candarliya {Fr}, by Dalakhani {Ire}) came home alone on her 3-year-old bow at Chantilly on Monday to offer an early shot across the bows ahead of the 2025 renewal of that 10 1/2-furlong feature. Kept to the Polytrack surface and 9 1/2-furlong trip over which she had opened her account here in December, the Francis-Henri Graffard-trained grey sauntered around the bends of the track which will host the Classic...

The catalogue is now available for the Arqana January Online Sale, which is scheduled to take place between the hours of 3pm and 5pm (local time) on Monday, January 20. A potential highlight of the sale is the Monsun (Ger) mare North Sun (Ger), who will be offered by Gestüt Schlenderhan in foal to Torquator Tasso (Ger). The 12-year-old is the dam of three winners from four runners to date, including the G2 Grosser Preis der Badischen Wirtschaft hero Northern Ruler (Ger) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}). North Sun, in...

Like any vibrant metropolis, Haras d'Etreham is somewhere that embraces the diversity of its inhabitants. At one time the roster featured everything from a dual Group 1-winning sprinter in Hello Youmzain (Fr), now one of the most expensive Flat stallions in France, to the leading National Hunt sire Saint des Saints (Fr), who in October this year was pensioned from stud duties. "We just need as many options as possible," says Etreham's Nicolas de Chambure, speaking more generally about the evolving stallion scene domestically which, in his words, had a...

The Auctav Winter Breeding Sale concluded on Wednesday, and a 1/50th share in Persian King (Ire) brought €140,000 on a private bid to top proceedings. Sold as lot 8, the share was acquired by Broadhurst Agency. Persian King stands at Haras d'Etreham and has 16 winners worldwide in his first crop. Three other lots made €25,000 or more, with a 1/48th share in Nirvana Du Berlais (Fr) (lot 4) making €50,000 from B & R Consulting. The stallion resides at Haras de la Hetraie, while his eldest foals are 3-year-olds...

Offered in foal to Persian King (Ire) by Haras d'Etreham, the Pivotal (GB) mare Quara (Ire) topped the third day of the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana when being bought by Llama O'Mahony's Whitethorn Bloodstock for €72,000. The 10-year-old Quara is out of the Listed-winning Dubawi (Ire) mare Quanzhou (Fr), a half-sister to the G1 Prix du Cadran hero Mille Et Mille (GB) (Muhtathir {GB}). Though Quara was unraced, Quanzhou is the dam of five winners, including the Listed scorers Hooking (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Le Destrier...

A share in French Classic winner Persian King (Ire) (lot 3B) is one of 14 lots catalogued for the Auctav Winter Breeding Sale. The first-season sire has 14 winners to his name. The sale, which features stallion shares, breeding rights, two broodmares, and a 3-year-old filly, is set for Wednesday, Dec. 11 beginning at 3 p.m. local time. Other lots of note are a share in group sire The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (lot 5B), a stallion share in Beaumec De Houelle (Fr) (lot 4B), a share in Nirvana Du Berlais...

A 1/50th share in first-season sire Hello Youmzain (Fr) (lot 4) brought a sale-topping €250,000 from Laurent Benoit's Broadhurst Agency during Tuesday's Arqana Online November Sale. The son of Kodiac (GB) has 19 winners worldwide. His pair of Group 3 winners are G3 Prix des Chenes hero Misunderstood (Fr), and G3 Prix Eclipse hero Electrolyte (Ire). Kullazain (GB) was third in the G3 Cornwallis Stakes, and Afentiko (Ire) was placed in a French listed affair. He stands for €40,000 at Haras d'Etreham next year. Group 1 sire Kameko's 1/50th (lot...