Kia Joorabchian retires top two-year-old Persian Force to stud

Persian Force has been retired from racing with the two-year-old heading to stud, his owner Kia Joorabchian said on Sunday.

Trained by Richard Hannon for Joorabchian’s Amo Racing, Persian Force secured his biggest success when landing the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket during the summer.

A son of Mehmas, who was also retired to stud at two, Persian Force won the opening two-year-old race of the season, the Brocklesby Conditions Stakes at Doncaster, and was subsequently placed in the Coventry Stakes, the Phoenix Stakes, the Prix Morny, the Middle Park Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“We decided this week that we will retire him to stud,” said Joorabchian. “Persian’s done an incredible job. He’s followed the footsteps of his father, he’s done everything Mehmas has done.

“Arguably, according to Richard Hannon, who trained both, he’s a better looking version of his father and he’s got a better pedigree. He started in March and ran in everything.”

Kia Joorabchian: 'Persian Force has followed the footsteps of his father, he’s done everything Mehmas has done'Credit: Edward Whitaker

Joorabchian pointed to the success Mehmas has enjoyed as a stallion since retiring at the end of his two-year-old season in 2016, siring the likes of Group 1 winners Minzaal and Supremacy, and the rise in the stallion’s stud fee to €60,000 in 2023 – from a low of €7,500 in 2020 – as factors in the decision to retire Persian Force.

No details on where Persian Force would stand or what his covering fee would be were announced by Joorabchian on Racing TV.

Speaking on Luck on Sunday, the owner said: “He’s never had a bad run, he’s followed the footsteps of his father from start to finish and his father retired at the end of his two-year-old career and has had a fantastic career in stud as a stallion.

“His father will stand at €60,000, so looking at that he can definitely follow in the footsteps of his father, if not better, because your son is always better than you.”

Persian Force had been a general 33-1 shot for next year’s Qipco 2,000 Guineas. He won three of his eight starts and collected £289,012 in total prize-money.

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