Adayar makes the perfect return to action at Newmarket

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.

Appleby said: “William said it was tiring ground out there and he got tired. He didn’t handle the Dip but good horses can overcome those negatives and still do what he has done. I’m very pleased to get him back on track.

"I’m just pleased he has had a nice experience out there today and he will definitely come forward for the run. One would imagine that all systems lead to the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes.

"They are two great racehorses (Adayar and Hurricane Lane) and it was great to get the pair of them back this week but we feel the mile and a half is hopefully Hurricane Lane’s division this year and I’ve always wanted to get Adayar to win a Group One over a mile and a quarter just as I think it will look good on his CV. It was (very important the gallop he had up here).

"It was a nice piece of work but he lugged a little bit that day as he got tired that day. He definitely came forward for that piece and it was a good job he did as it was tiring ground out there today. We thought we were 90 per cent there and it was a good job where we were as it was testing conditions out there."

Appleby added: “He ran a great race in the Champion Stakes there so I wasn’t really nervous to be honest with you. I was excited about seeing him to be honest with you. Full credit to the team at home as I thought he looked great and he will come forward for the run.

"I said to the team at the start of the week I’m bringing up three Classic winners and it could be a long week if none of these go in but they have all run incredibly well. Hurricane Lane I was incredibly delighted with. This horse has been easier in respects of chatting to you guys as with Hurricane Lane everyone was questioning whether it was the right thing to do or not but when he answered it the way he did the other day I was delighted.

“They went a sensible gallop there today but when he gets a nice strong pace to run at in the Prince Of Wales’s it will suit him down to the ground and we know he loves Ascot. It was a frustrating time having to sit through the summer watching some great racehorses (win those middle distance races) when we had a racehorse that we were very excited about in the spring miss three parts of the season. Hopefully we will make up a bit of headway again.

“It (the ground) was a concern but at the end of the day he is an older horse and he has run on the ground enough times so he knows how to handle it. That (will be my first thought to keep him to 10 furlongs). In the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes we will take on the best mile and a quarter horses and no disrespect to those horses today they were Group Three horses, although I know one had won a Group Two in France but we will be meeting proper Group One horses at Ascot so there will be no hiding places for him there.”

Owen Burrows, trainer of the runner-up Anmaat, said: “It was a solid run. I thought we were up against it giving 5lbs 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 5lbs so it’s solid. He’s obviously 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.”

Appleby and Buick brought up a double when On Point (8-11 Favourite) came out on top by a head in the three-runner Howden British EBF Maiden Stakes over five furlongs.

Appleby said of the two year old Blue Point colt: “He’s been an honest little horse and a straightforward horse. He’s been very professional and we know the family (son of Blue Point and Devonshire) on both sides so we were very keen to have a Blue Point winner.

“It’s fantastic and what you love to see is that he’s shown all the characteristics that his dad showed as a two year old, with showing up early and having natural speed. He was a bit fresh in the paddock when saddling beforehand, but you don’t mind that. You’d rather them get a feel for it all before the jockey gets on.

“As William (Buick) said, it’s hard to really assess as it was a bit of a two and a half furlong burn up, but he’s done it and knuckled down and we’ll hopefully get another run into him before we start making Ascot assessments. I’d say we’ll probably take a look (at the National Stakes, Sandown Park) - I’m always keen to try and get two runs in before Ascot.

“It’s a big day and a big occasion and sometimes you can lose a horse there (if you have only had one run previously). It takes a while to get them back and at least if they’ve cut their teeth a couple of times they’ve a bit better understanding of it all.”

Buick went on to record a treble when Saxon King (5-1) came out on top in the mile Howden Handicap. The Charlie Hills-trained three year old took the contest by a length and a half from Dark Thirty (12-1).

Philip Freedman, joint owner of Saxon King, said: “It was quite like how he won at Haydock Park last year when it looked like he was going to get swallowed up half a furlong on and he kept on battling and that is what he has done today. He won heavy ground last year and won on softish ground today.

“In a perfect world you would love to run him in the Britannia at Royal Ascot but I think if we got a nice soft ground handicap between now and then it would be stupid not to run him between now and then. There is the Silver Bowl back at Haydock Park, which he could go for as you always have half a chance of getting soft ground there. I think Haydock would be the plan if the ground is right. He was due to run at Sandown Park last week and that had been the plan all winter so it was disappointing when that was off.

“I thought the problem today would be the two or three that had run already and I thought they might have an edge on fitness, but Charlie’s horses have been running well.”

The 2023 QIPCO Guineas Festival came to a conclusion with the 10-furlong Howden Handicap which saw an impressive success for the Karl Burke-trained Royal Rhyme (4-1) who scored by five lengths under Clifford Lee.

Lee said: “When I rode him at Kempton Park, early doors all he did was gallop away. The extra couple of furlongs though has done him justice. He travels well through that sort of ground and he has done it nicely now.

“I feel like he will get a bit further as he is a very strong travelling horse. He could have done with a bit more cover but he takes you to the two pole very easily. He has done it quite easily today. We always knew he wanted a mile and a quarter and it was just a case of finding the right races.

He wants to relax a bit more as he is a very strong going horse but I think he will get further.”