First stakes winner for Persian King as Darius Cen impresses at Saint-Cloud

Haras d'Etreham's Poule d'Essai des Poulains winner and second-season sire Persian King was represented with his first stakes winner at Saint-Cloud on Sunday. 

Yeguada Centurion's homebred Darius Cen made it two wins from three starts when pulling two and a half lengths clear of his rivals in the Listed Prix Omnium II.

Having started his career with trainer Maurizio Guarnieri, the colt subsequently ran out an 11-length winner of his second start for Victoria Head at Clairefontaine in October. 

Darius Cen is out of the Pivotal mare Briseida, a high-class performer when landing the Group 2 German 1,000 Guineas in 2008. The Watership Down Stud-bred mare is also the dam of Group 3 Fritz Henkel Stiftung-Rennen winner Bristano and Group 3 Preis des Winterfavoriten scorer Brisanto.

Persian King's debut crop of juveniles caught the eye last term and look certain to improve with age. The Kingman horse defeated Magna Grecia in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at two but developed into a top-class performer at three and four, with his other victories including the Prix du Moulin and Prix d'Ispahan at four. 

The nine-year-old retired to Haras d'Etreham after a third-placed finish in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, standing for a debut fee of €30,000. He stands this season for €25,000. 

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