Old Persian, who hails from same red-hot family as Varsfontein’s highly successful sire Judpot, picked up the second G2 feature of his career when he won the G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on Wednesday.

A 3yo son of Dubawi, the Charlie Appleby trained Old Persian stamped his ticket to G1 William Hill St Leger with a convincing win over stable mate Cross Counter.
Nelson set a decent gallop in the early stages, with Wells Farhh Go, Old Persian and Cross Counter not too far away.
The race was wide open three furlongs out, where Wells Farhh Go was the first to commit, but the Godolphin pair soon dominated proceedings.
Sent off at 7-1, Old Persian kept finding for James Doyle and returned to the form of his win in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes, following defeat in the Irish Derby, as he kept his stablemate at bay by a head.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Kew Gardens made up plenty of ground from the rear to take third place, a length and a half away.
Out of the Singspiel mare Indian Petal, Old Persian has now won six of ten races, with his previous scores including the Listed Betway Fairway Stakes at Newmarket.
The colt, whose dam is an own sister to G2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner Silkwood, hails from one of the finest families in the stud book. His third dam is the stakes winning Massaraat, a full-sister to the mighty racemare and producer Miesque.

Not only is Miesque, winner of the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1987 and 1988, the dam of French classic winners Kingmambo (an outstanding sire and broodmare sire) and East Of The Moon, as well as Judpot, she also features as the second dam of 2018 G1 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) hero Study Of Man and third dam of star Irish 3yo filly Alpha Centauri. The latter, a winner of six of nine outings, has won four G1 races in a row, with Alpha Centauri’s wins this season including all of the G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation Stakes, G1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes and G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois.
Judpot, whose other notable relatives include such Breeders’ Cup Mile winners as Karakontie and Six Perfections, enjoyed a good season in 2017-2018 with his notable runners including G1 Premier’s Champions Challenge winner Coral Fever and G2 Post Merchants hero Sniper Shot.