DODGING Bullets completed a Grade 1 hat-trick when beating Somersby by a length and a half to take the Queen Mother Champion Chase at the Cheltenham Festival in 2015.
The win came two months after he had beaten the great Sprinter Sacre by three lengths in the Clarence House Chase over a furlong farther at Ascot, leg two of a treble that began with the Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown a few weeks before Christmas.
The Paul Nicholls-trained bay was bred by Frankie Dettori and although boasting the pedigree to be a classic star on the flat, a feat that his relation Light Shift achieved at Epsom, Dodging Bullets was a brilliant chaser at around two miles, hitting a career peak of 171.
Dodging Bullets also provided early proof that Dubawi’s (Dubai Millennium) stock could be top-class National Hunt horses, something that takes on added significance now that Old Persian has taken up stud duties.
Glenview Stud’s latest recruit won the Group 2 King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot as a three-year-old, added the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and returned to action for a top-class international campaign as a four-year-old.
It is a remarkable facet of Dubawi’s record that so many of his progeny excel at the ages of four and above, even those who were notable at two and three years of age, and Old Persian joined his tally of Group 1-winning older runners.
Old Persian won the Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan and the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes at Woodbine, both over 12 furlongs, he landed a Group 2 contest over the same trip, also at Meydan, and was third in the Group 1 Grosser Preis von Berlin in Germany.
A three-parts brother to the dual stakes-placed sprinter Chapelli (Poet’s Voice) – one of those was a nose defeat – he is out of a full-sister to the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes scorer Silkwood (Singspiel) and half-sister to Silent Honor (Sunday Silence), winner of the Group 2 Cherry Hinton Stakes.
The sadly ill-fated Group 1-placed dual Group 2 victor Permian (Teofilo) is under one of his third dam’s daughters, but there’s stardom under the fourth generation. Third dam Massaraat (Nureyev), a stakes-winning daughter of stakes winner Pasadoble (Prove Out), is Miesque’s full-sister.
In addition to being one of the great filly milers, that champion became a broodmare of rare influence.
Miesque’s classic-winning son Kingmambo (Mr Prospector) was a leading international sire, his full-brother Miesque’s Son sired winners at all levels, whereas East Of The Moon (Private Account) is the dual classic-winning ancestress of Alpha Centauri (Mastercraftsman), Alpine Star (Sea The Moon) and others of note.
Miesque’s Group 1-winning descendants also include stars such as Rumplestiltskin (Danehill), Tapestry (Galileo) and Study Of Man (Deep Impact), whereas her half-sister Yogya (Riverman) gave us Six Perfections (Celtic Swing).
All of this makes Old Persian a fascinating addition to the stallion ranks.
OLD PERSIAN (GB), Bay 2015. Top rated older horse in U.A.E. in 2019 (11-14f.). Won nine races, £3,412,858, from 1 mile to 1 mile 4 furlongs, at 2 to 4 years including, Longines Dubai Sheema Classic, Meydan, Gr.1, Northern Dancer Turf Stakes, Woodbine, Gr.1, King Edward VII Stakes, Ascot, Gr.2, Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes, York, Gr.2, SkyCargo Dubai City of Gold Stakes, Meydan, Gr.2, Betway Fairway Stakes, Newmarket, L, also placed second in Havana Gold Newmarket Stakes, Newmarket, L, and third in Longines Grosser Preis von Berlin, Berlin-Hoppegarten, Gr.1.
Retired to Stud in 2021.
Stands at: Glenview Stud, Fermoy, Co Cork, P61 HE30, Ireland.
Contact: Paul Cashman, Donal White, Rachel Robinson, Stephen O’Flynn
Telephone: +353 (0)25 36701
Email: glenview@rathbarrystud.com
Web: www.rathbarrystud.com
Fee: €2,500