Old Persian likely to swerve Royal Ascot 2019
Charlie Appleby favours the Arlington Million as a possible next target for Old Persian instead of trying to secure back-to-back victories at Royal Ascot.
The Newmarket trainer may aim Old Persian at the Grade One prize in Illinois on August 10 rather than bidding to follow up last year's King Edward VII Stakes victory in either the Prince Of Wales's or Hardwicke Stakes.
After claiming his first top-level success in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan in March on his penultimate start, the Dubawi colt could finish only seventh of nine in the Coronation Cup at Epsom.
Appleby said: "He was entitled to come forward for his run in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, but he did disappoint us the way he shut down in the last furlong.
"He came back out of the race OK - but I just think a more conventional track will suit him, so we might look at the Arlington Million and drop him back to a mile and a quarter on that flat track there.
"I know he has won around Ascot - and because he was a winner at the meeting last year, you can't completely rule it out, but I think we will end up missing Ascot.
"We were just disappointed with that last run at Epsom, and it was not the sort of run you want to go into a championship meeting like Ascot."
