Old Persian caps a brilliant day for Dubawi

Improving four-year-old takes the G2 Dubai City Of Gold

Dubawi completed a Group race treble on Saturday, 9 March when Old Persian got up near the line to win the G2 Dubai City Of Gold. The winning margin though did not represent the extent of his dominance after being constantly short of room in the straight, only getting a clear run a furlong from home to beat Racing History, a full brother to Farhh, and Halling’s G1 winner Desert Encounter.

The four-year-old, who is out of the Singspiel mare Indian Petal, was making his seasonal debut and was winning his third G2 after victories in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York, when beating future Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter (Teofilo).

Thirty five minutes earlier, Muntazah was leg two of Dubawi’s treble when making all the running to win the G3 Burj Nahaar over a mile, this time on dirt. Already a Group winner on his previous start, he was a class above his rivals, powering away in the straight to win by ten facile lengths.

Earlier in the day in Australia, Ball Of Muscle had won his seventh Stakes race when taking the G2 Challenge Stakes over five furlongs at Randwick, again making all the running.

The progeny of Dubawi have already won twelve Stakes races this season, ten of which have come at Group level, a figure no stallion in the world can match. They have come on all surfaces and over distances ranging from Ball Of Muscle’s flying five furlongs to Ipsolini’s 14 furlong triumph in the G3 Nad Al Sheba Trophy.