Tag Archive for: Adayar

Adayar makes the perfect return to action at Newmarket

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Former Derby and King George winner Adayar showed a clean pair of heels to his four rivals in the rescheduled bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket.

Charlie Appleby’s Frankel entire had been sidelined for 11 months before winning a conditions event at Doncaster in September and followed that with a half-length defeat to Bay Bridge in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Making his seasonal bow as a five-year-old, William Buick’s mount was sent off the 5-6 favourite for the 10-furlong Group Three contest, which was saved after Sandown’s card was abandoned last weekend.

Despite the soft ground, his supporters never had any cause for concern, as the Godolphin-owned runner tracked stablemate Highland Avenue, himself making his return after 428 days off.

While James Doyle set out to make all, Adayar settled superbly in behind and taking it up on the bridle approaching a furlong out, William Buick’s mount lengthened with the minimum of fuss, striding clear to win by two and a half lengths.

Anmaat, who had a 5lb penalty for winning the Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp in October, was a little keen early on, but stayed on well under Jim Crowley to overhaul Highland Avenue for second late on.

Adayar was subsequently cut to 7-2 (from 6-1) for the Coronation Cup and 16-1 (from 33-1) for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe with Coral, with Betfair going 7-2 from 9-2 for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Adayar did it nicely on his return
Adayar did it nicely on his return (Nigel French/PA)

Appleby is keen to head to the Royal meeting.

He said: “It’s tiring ground out there, he got tired and didn’t handle the dip, but good horses can overcome those negatives and still do what he’s done today.

“I’m very pleased to get him back on track, he’s had a nice experience out there today and he will definitely come forward for the run, so I’d imagine now it’s all systems go for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

“He and Hurricane Lane are two great racehorses and it’s great to get the pair of them back this week. We feel the mile and a half is going to be Hurricane Lane’s division this year and I’ve always wanted Adayar to try to win a Group One over a mile and a quarter as it will look very good on his CV.

“Better ground at Ascot would suit him, for sure. They went a sensible gallop today, but I think in a Prince of Wales’s where he’ll get a good, strong gallop to run at it will suit him really well, and we know he loves Ascot.

He added: “It was a frustrating time having to sit through the summer with him last year. We saw some great racehorses, but we had a horse that we were very excited about in the spring miss three-parts of the season. Hopefully we’ll make a bit of headway again this year.”

Owen Burrows was happy with Anmaat in defeat.

He said: “It was a solid run. I thought we were up against it giving 5lb to Adayar and he’s run his race. He needed to get his season started so I thought it was a good solid run. He battled away and it’s tough out there, it’s hard work.

“It was his first run of the year and we were giving away 5lb, so it’s solid. He’s in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in around three weeks’ time and the Prix d’Ispahan in France, so we’ll see how he comes out of this.

“We might try him over a little bit further at some stage. I don’t know when, but we’ll see.”

Adayar starts out on road to Ascot

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Derby and King George hero Adayar locks horns with the exciting Anmaat in an intriguing renewal of the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown on Friday.

Adayar provided trainer Charlie Appleby with a second Derby success at Epsom two years ago, a victory he proved was no fluke by beating his elders in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Last season was not so smooth for the son of Frankel, he did not make his reappearance until dominating a couple of rivals in a Doncaster conditions race in September, after which he got closest to Bay Bridge in the Qipco Champion Stakes.

With Appleby keen to add a 10-furlong Group One to the five-year-old’s CV before he is retired to stud, he views this Group Three as an ideal starting point ahead of an intended appearance at Royal Ascot.

“We have been delighted with Adayar’s preparation. He worked well in a racecourse gallop at Newmarket last week and it was always the plan to start him off here,” he said on www.godolphin.com.

“The ground is going to be testing and this is very much a prep race ahead of the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, but he is the class horse in the field.”

The Moulton Paddocks handler also saddles Highland Avenue in a bid to ensure the four-runner contest does not develop into a tactical affair, adding: “Highland Avenue is a decent horse in his own right, having won the Feilden Stakes and run well on soft ground in the Heron Stakes as a three-year-old

“He will hopefully ensure that there is a decent gallop in the race.”

Anmaat at Longchamp
Anmaat at Longchamp (Ashley Iveson/PA)

The biggest threat to Adayar is the Owen Burrows-trained Anmaat, who last season won the John Smith’s Cup at York, the Rose of Lancaster Stakes at Haydock and the Prix Dollar on Arc weekend in Paris.

The Awtaad gelding is saddled with a Group Two penalty for that latter victory, meaning he has to concede 5lb to Adayar despite being rated 3lb his inferior by the handicapper.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “We’re very much looking forward to seeing him run. He’s got his work cut out, taking on a Derby winner, but we’ve got to start somewhere.

“I don’t know if he wants heavy ground, but a bit of ease won’t do him any harm and Owen has been very happy with him as far as I know and it will be good to get him back in the swing of it.

“We’ll take it one race at a time, but that is obviously the plan in a perfect world, to make him a Group One winner.

“He’s an incredibly tough horse with a great attitude. I don’t think he’s going to want firm ground, so we’ll be guided by the conditions as to whether to he’s a mid-summer horse or not, but let’s take it one step at a time and get this out of the way first.”

Sir Michael Stoute’s Regal Reality, who won the Brigadier Gerard Stakes over the course and distance four years ago, is the only other runner.

Hurricane Lane primed for Newbury return

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Hurricane Lane is set to make his return to competitive action at Newbury this weekend after delighting trainer Charlie Appleby in a racecourse gallop at Newmarket.

The son of Frankel enjoyed a fantastic three-year-old campaign in 2021, winning the Dante Stakes, Irish Derby, Grand Prix de Paris and St Leger, as well as being placed in the Derby and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Much was expected of Hurricane Lane last season, but he made it the racecourse on only two occasions, with a comeback third in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot followed by a disappointing performance in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

But after seeing the five-year-old draw clear of a stablemate in a seven-furlong workout under William Buick on Tuesday morning, Appleby is confident the entire can bounce back to his best, with Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes – better known as the John Porter – his intended starting point.

“I’m pleased with that. We brought him up here purposely with the ground being good to soft, soft as we know he is a horse that is proven on that surface,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“His three-year-old career, I don’t have to tell anyone about that, but his four-year-old career ended up being disappointing. He ran a creditable race in the Hardwicke Stakes on ground that was quick. We thought we got away with it to be honest with you.

“We then went to the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the ground wasn’t where we thought it was. It was quick enough that day and he ran a disappointing race.

“We purposely left it there and thought we’d give the horse every chance. The one thing I wanted to make sure starting this year was that he was starting on ground with soft in the description. I don’t want any excuses.

“If the horse were not to turn up, you would have to accept that the horse did what he did as a three-year-old at the highest level and that was that – but on the evidence of what we have seen at home this year, we have been very pleased with him as a physical and just in his demeanour, and I think he has shown you guys out there this morning he has let himself down there.

“The plan is to take a look at Newbury on Saturday with the ground being there to suit him.”

While Hurricane Lane holds several Group One entries, Appleby confirmed the Arc will again be his major target, adding: “The only reason this horse has stayed in training is to work back from an Arc.

Adayar winning the 2021 King George at Ascot
Adayar winning the 2021 King George at Ascot (Nigel French/PA)

“I want to make sure we tick all the right boxes and give him the best opportunity to get there. I don’t want to be there mid-season running on ground he doesn’t want and then telling myself I’ve made a mistake.

“The Arc is our long-term plan and he will be campaigned accordingly around that.”

Appleby also provided an upbeat bulletin on the progress of his 2021 Derby hero Adayar, who remains on course to make his return in the Gordon Richard Stakes at Sandown on Friday week.

He said: “Adayar is in great form and he has been over to Waterhall (gallop) and done all our preparations pre-season and he has delighted us over there.

“His target is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot. We go to Sandown with it very much as a trial, but I would be disappointed if this horse is not a big player there.

Charlie Appleby is looking forward to the return of Adayar
Charlie Appleby is looking forward to the return of Adayar (Mike Egerton/PA)

“We are very much on the front foot this season as this time last year, unfortunately our dream had gone for the first half of the season, which became frustrating watching all those good races go by.

“He showed that he was worth our patience at the back end there winning at Doncaster, which was more of an organised gallop, before running a courageous race to finish second in the Champion Stakes on ground that we know is not his ideal.

“We are very much looking forward to Sandown next week.”

Appleby is keen for Adayar to win a Group One over 10 furlongs to go with his Derby and King George wins over a mile and a half to enhance his future value at stud.

“To start with he will be campaigned over a mile and a quarter because of his stallion CV. In this day and age, they want to see a bit more speed on the page,” he added.

“What he achieved in his three-year-old career, winning the Derby and King George, was fantastic and everyone was delighted. From a commercial point of view, everyone would like to see that mile and a quarter stamped.

“I think it is a trip that is well within his compass – he has always been a very strong traveller in his races.

“Epsom and Ascot were fantastic results for the horse and the team, but I’m pretty confident he will be putting a Group One 10-furlong tag around his neck this year.”

Adayar poised for Gordon Richards reappearance

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Adayar, whose 2022 campaign was restricted to two outings, will start to make up for lost time when reappearing in the bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown next month.

After triumphing at Epsom in 2021, the Charlie Appleby-trained Adayar became the first Derby winner in 20 years to follow up with a victory in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

His four-year-old season was delayed until Doncaster’s St Leger meeting, after which he went down by just half a length to Bay Bridge in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.

Adayar (right) locked in battle with Bay Bridge in the Champion Stakes
Adayar (right) locked in battle with Bay Bridge in the Champion Stakes (John Walton/PA)

Appleby wants to give the son of Frankel further opportunities to pick up a Group One over a mile and a quarter this season, with the Group Three Gordon Richards as the starting point before Royal Ascot.

“The plan is to run Adayar in the Gordon Richards and then the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, both over a mile and a quarter,” said the Moulton Paddocks handler.

“He will have a lot of summer targets, but winning a Group One over that trip will look good on his CV.”