Persica pounces under unstoppable Moore for Diomed gold

Persica

again showed his liking for Epsom when coming with a late run under the irrepressible Ryan Moore in the Betfred Diomed Stakes.

Winner of a handicap at the Derby meeting last year, this time he was up in Group Three company, but that still represented a step down in class from his last race in the Lockinge.

While many expected Richard Hannon’s charge to make the running, Moore dropped him right out in last place and he came to beat Ice Max by three-quarters of a length as the 6-4 favourite, with the fast-finishing Docklands in third.

“He’s one of those horses who’s a pleasure to turn up to the races with and he’s a good-looking horse who belongs to the right people and he has a chance in any race,” said Hannon.

“Knowing his owners they’ll be thinking Japan Cup and Breeders’ Cup and something in Australia, but being honest we’ve always been happy to ply our trade around this level. We might make the occasional jump up on the back of this which I think makes sense, but he has a chance in any race if he gets his ground.

“Ryan said he struggled going down the hill a bit, but I didn’t have the guts to tell him he had been here last year and won!”