Adayar Gives Frankel His First Derby

He was the third-string of Godolphin, the outsider of all the colts by Frankel (GB), was drawn in the hoodoo one stall and ridden by the jockey who was banished from one of the more-fancied horses, but in the final reckoning on Saturday Godolphin's Adayar (Ire) was utterly dominant in Epsom's G1 Cazoo Derby. Highly encouraging when runner-up in the Apr. 23 G3 Sandown Classic Trial, the powerful bay was less so when in the same spot in the May 8 Lingfield Derby Trial and had subsequently gone into the background behind Charlie Appleby's other duo. Tellingly, late money was to come for him and he started at only 16-1 having been much bigger this week when trading as a rank outsider. Sent up to race in fourth against the rail early, he travelled strongly for Adam Kirby who just days before had been on John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and whose availability meant that champion jockey Oisin Murphy was missing out on what would have been his own Derby breakthrough. Making his move up a slim gap on the inner to grab the lead with over two furlongs remaining, the homebred who sported the red cap was soon gone beyond recall and issued a 4 1/2-length beating to the Richard Hannon-trained maiden and 50-1 outsider Mojo Star (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}). The winner's stablemate Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) was a further 3 1/4 lengths away in third to cap a memorable outcome for Appleby, while Ballydoyle's Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) never looked like justifying 11-8 favouritism in seventh. “I went a bit weak on him the last half a furlong–I couldn't believe it and all I could think of is that my mother would be watching and she would have been happy,” an emotional Kirby said. “There's been ups and downs and swings and roundabouts, but it's racing and when it comes to Charlie Appleby, he's a top man and I can't thank him enough. He's a true gentleman and a great trainer and his team is second to none.”

Adayar had shown what he could do on rain-softened ground when scoring by nine lengths in the “Golden Horn” Maiden S. over an extended mile at Nottingham in late October, just a fortnight after a debut fourth over the same course and distance. A real eye-catcher when running against the bias and staying on from rear to be second to Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) in the Sandown Classic Trial, he had chased home Third Realm (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) with no obvious excuses in Lingfield's Derby Trial and was understandably pigeon-holed as a St Leger type as a result. Brought here nevertheless, he was part of the jockey merry-go-round which had dominated so much of the week's Derby news but the fates conspired to bring him and the man who played such a big part in his formative days together in a perfect arrangement. Brought along at Kirby's pre-training centre at Vicarage Farm outside of Newmarket, this was a sub-plot that had been ignored as the hype was focused elsewhere.

Having first lost what can now only be seen as a genuine contender in Alenquer due to a setback, William Haggas had to deal with a double blow as the unexpected 11 millimetres of rain that fell on the Downs on Friday effectively ruled out Mohaafeth (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) as well. That significant easing in the going, which was generally described as “hard work” by jockeys riding earlier on the card, meant that while Frankel had one less contender in the ranks after the Shadwell dynamo was pulled out at least two of his other trio were coming into the mix. From the start, as Kirby sent Adayar forward from the lowest draw Bolshoi Ballet was markedly sluggish with Ryan Moore having to niggle to get him in a prominent position. Hurricane Lane's rider William Buick was also unhappy after the first half a mile as Gear Up (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Youth Spirit (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) led the way, but Kirby was always sitting on a lot of horse in the pocket in behind.

Penned in tight to the rail heading down the hill to Tattenham Corner, Adayar was in the right spot heading towards the strip of preserved fresh ground in the straight while Hurricane Lane kept working out wide to forge ahead of the fading Bolshoi Ballet and one-paced Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). When the eventual winner was pointed at the tight alley of light between Gear Up and the fence passing three out, he answered with an enthusiastic surge and from there it was a case of horse and jockey in perfect unison as the powerful galloper drew clear. The race's remarkable story Mojo Star, who had looked the only colt to be out of place in the line-up beforehand, excelled to champion Richard Hannon's judgement as he stayed on to separate himself from the rest.

Charlie Appleby was typically humble in his appraisal of the victory afterwards. “Firstly, all the credit goes to Sheikh Mohammed and Team Godolphin,” he commented. “I'll be honest with you, we spoke on Wednesday night after the horses did their breezes in the morning and I said to His Highness 'I couldn't be happier with them all, but I did feel this horse was more of a Leger horse', and he said 'Charlie, run him, there's only one Derby' and as always he was right. From the team's point of view, it's fantastic, they all work so hard. I'm delighted for Adam, we saw all the trials and tribulations in the build-up to the Derby and it was a fantastic ride. He was hungry for it and he knew this horse better than most as he broke him in. It's great for all the team at Vicarage Farm, where the dam is one of the homebred mares and it's a huge team effort. I can't thank everybody enough to be in this position standing here again in this hallowed ground. It's all about His Highness and Godolphin and the whole team behind it. They bring these magical days. We'll just let the dust settle, but we always felt the Leger was going to be his target and if he hadn't run here he was going to go to the [G2 Queen's] Vase [at Royal Ascot]. He's a great big, scopey horse by Frankel and time will benefit him still. To win the way he has done, he's stamped his authority there among the three-year-old middle-distance horses.”

Aidan O'Brien was bemused by the performance of Bolshoi Ballet and said, “He just ran a bit lifeless. What the reason was, I'm not sure. It doesn't work every day. That's the way life is. I don't want to make excuses, because I don't want to take away from the other horses. He was in the perfect position. He wants nice ground and maybe that was the reason.”

Adayar is the third live foal out of the G3 Prix de la Grotte winner and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Anna Salai (Dubawi {Ire}), who took four goes to successfully deliver for the operation. She is a daughter of the G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Anna Palariva (Ire) (Caerleon), who produced the four-times listed-winning and group 3-placed Advice (GB) (Seeking the Gold) and the useful Iguazu Falls (Pivotal {GB}) who took the Listed Surrey S. at this meeting. Anna Palariva, who is also the second dam of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere-winning sire National Defense (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), is the leading performer out of the G3 Park Hill S. winner Anna of Saxony (GB) (Ela-Mana-Mou {Ire}) whose other descendants are headed by the GI Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Ave (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).

Anna of Saxony, who descends from the G2 Preis der Diana-winning champion and blue hen Anna Paola (Ger) (Prince Ippi {Ger}), is also connected to this year's G2 Diana-Trial winner Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}) and is a half-sister to the dams of the Australian group 1-winning sires Epaulette (Aus) and Helmet (Aus) and the G1 Premio Vittorio di Capua and G2 German 1000 Guineas heroine Anna Monda (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Anna Salai's unraced 2-year-old filly by Teofilo (Ire) is named Bedouin Queen (GB), while she also has a yearling full-brother to Adayar.

Saturday, Epsom Downs, Britain
CAZOO DERBY-G1, £1,125,000, Epsom, 6-5, 3yo, 12f 6yT, 2:36.85, g/s.
1–ADAYAR (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Anna Salai (GSW-Fr, G1SP-Ire & SP-Eng, $158,818), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Anna Palariva (Ire), by Caerleon
3rd Dam: Anna of Saxony (GB), by Ela-Mana-Mou (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby; J-Adam Kirby. £637,988. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, $945,547. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mojo Star (Ire), 126, c, 3, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Galley (GB), by Zamindar. (130,000gns Wlg '18 TATFOA; 220,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Amo Racing Ltd; B-Barbara Prendergast (IRE); T-Richard Hannon. £241,875.
3–Hurricane Lane (Ire), 126, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Gale Force (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (200,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Godolphin; B-Normandie Stud Ltd (IRE); T-Charlie Appleby. £121,050.
Margins: 4HF, 3 1/4, 3 1/4. Odds: 16.00, 50.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Mac Swiney (Ire), Third Realm (GB), One Ruler (Ire), Bolshoi Ballet (Ire), Youth Spirit (Ire), John Leeper (Ire), Gear Up (Ire), Southern Lights (Ire). Scratched: Mohaafeth (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Frankie on Snowfall in Cazoo Oaks

Aidan O'Brien has booked Frankie Dettori for the G3 Musidora S. winner Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in Friday's G1 Cazoo Oaks at Epsom, for which 14 fillies were confirmed on Wednesday. Registering a career-best when winning by 3 3/4 lengths in that extended 10-furlong trial at York May 12, she joins 'TDN Rising Star' and likely favourite Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and three others from Rosegreen in the mile-and-a-half Classic. As expected, Ryan Moore sticks with the May 2 G1 1000 Guineas fourth Santa Barbara, while Seamie Heffernan takes the mount on the G3 Flame of Tara S. winner Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Wayne Lordan is on the G3 Blue Wind S. third Willow (Ire) (American Pharoah) and William Buick picks up the ride on the Listed Cheshire Oaks fourth La Joconde (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

O'Brien was at The Curragh on Wednesday and gave the low-down on the quintet. “We always thought the world of Snowfall last year, but she didn't really put it together. Maybe it was the winter under her belt or going up in trip which helped her or a bit of both, but we were pleased with her at York,” he said. “With Santa Barbara, we had to be careful with her going to the Guineas but we were able to train her a little bit harder for the Oaks and we've been very happy with her since. She looks like she'll definitely get a mile and a quarter and there is a good chance of her getting the trip. Being by Camelot, she has that influence for stamina but she's not short of pace and class. Wayne [Lordan] really liked Willow at Naas and we think she's gone the right way while we always thought Divinely would improve for a step up in trip. We were very happy with her at Lingfield–it was a slowly-run race and all her figures from her work have been very favourable with the others. La Joconde is a maiden, but has worked nicely and we always thought she was better than her form so we are letting her take her chance as well.”

After the draw was made for the £395,000 contest, it was Shadwell's Cheshire Oaks runner-up Zeyaadah (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) who was handed the disadvantageous one stall with Qatar Racing's Ocean Road (Ire) (Australia {GB}) alongside in two. The latter, who was third behind Sherbet Lemon (Lemon Drop Kid) and Save a Forest (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) and in front of Divinely in the May 8 Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial, was the subject of a bullish bulletin from trainer Hugo Palmer on Wednesday.

“I think she has come on an enormous amount from Lingfield,” he said of the half-sister to the dual GI Northern Dancer Turf S. hero Wigmore Hall (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) who was given a sighter of Epsom last week. “I'd be confident that she has come on at least 10 pounds and if she has come on 20 pounds she is going to be right there. I weighed her on Monday. She was only just ready to run when she went to Lingfield and she has stripped down to hard-fit now. She is 18 kilos lighter than she was at Lingfield. Her work has been really good. She is an outsider, but I think she is a lively outsider. She has a lot of improvement to find, not least to beat the two horses that beat her last time, but I think everyone is united that it's a pretty open year.”

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's Cheshire Oaks winner Dubai Fountain (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas runner-up Saffron Beach (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) have been drawn six and seven respectively, with Ali Saeed's Musidora third Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in eight.

In other Epsom news to break on Wednesday, Aidan O'Brien announced that last year's G2 Beresford S. winner High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will miss Saturday's G1 Cazoo Derby at Epsom for which he was the winter ante-post favourite and wait for the G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh on June 26.

Confirming that 'TDN Rising Star' Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will be the stable's sole representative in the blue riband, the Ballydoyle handler said during racing at The Curragh, “Nothing is written in stone until ten o'clock in the morning, but it looks like the two horses are going to be split. It looks like Bolshoi Ballet is going to Epsom and it looks like High Definition is coming straight here. Bolshoi would be our only runner at Epsom–that's what the lads are thinking to give the two of them a chance at a Derby. It's the right thing.”

O'Brien revealed that the four other remaining entries would go in separate directions. “St Mark's Basilica and Van Gogh are going to France [for Sunday's G1 Prix du Jockey Club],” he continued. “Kyprios is going to Ascot for the Queen's Vase and Sir Lamorak might go for the King Edward. We were lucky to get the run into High Definition at York and we think he's a very good horse. A little more time won't do him any harm. It was just to give the two of them a chance until they have to meet. The Curragh Derby is a very important race, as the Epsom Derby is also. I'm very happy with both horses. If we didn't get the run into High Definition then there was no decision to make, as if he didn't run in York then he definitely wouldn't go to Epsom.”

With Frankie Dettori no longer required by Ballydoyle, the 50-year-old who was widely expected to be on High Definition instead gets the call-up for TDN Rising Star John Leeper (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Cristina Patino's May 15 Listed Fairway S. winner was due to be ridden by Adam Kirby, but the owner-breeder was intent on snaring the jockey who steered Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) to glory in the 2012 G1 Irish Champion S.

“Frankie was the first choice and was approached quite a while ago, but he has been riding a lot for Aidan in England and that was going to happen until the bolt out of the blue from Ballydoyle this afternoon,” trainer Ed Dunlop explained to the Racing Post. “There are no negatives with Frankie riding in the Derby and the horse's work is all done now. He's done everything we've wanted him to do so far and, touch wood, everything is going well going into the race. The news today came a bit out of the blue, but once Mrs. Patino heard she was very keen and instructed us to see if Frankie was available.”

Before Epsom's action gets underway, Thursday's Leopardstown card features the Listed Glencairn S. over a mile, where The Aga Khan's 2020 G3 Amethyst S. winner Sinawann (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) makes his seasonal bow, and the 12-furlong Listed Nijinsky S. for 3-year-olds. The Mediterranean (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was one of the members of Ballydoyle's drastically trimmed-down Derby list, heads here instead having been successful in a maiden over the course and distance May 9. The son of the classy Flashy Wings (GB) (Zafonic) meets Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's Fernando Vichi (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who gives more clues as to the measurable ability of Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) having been third to the hot Derby favourite in the same card's G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.

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2022 Cazoo Derby Festival to Be Part Of Platinum Jubilee Weekend

The 2022 Cazoo Derby at Epsom Downs on June 4, 2022, will form part of the official Platinum Jubilee Weekend, Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday. The Jockey Club is delighted at the news. Next year, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee-70 years on the throne. “Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will attend The Derby at Epsom Downs,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

The 2022 Cazoo Derby Festival is slated for June 3-4 of 2022. On June 6, 1953, three days after Her Majesty's Coronation, The Queen achieved her best result to date in the G1 Derby, a second-place finish by Aureole (GB) (Hyperion {GB}).

Phil White, who runs the Cazoo Derby Festival as London Regional Director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said, “We are incredibly grateful for the support Her Majesty The Queen has given to The Derby over several decades. To be afforded this opportunity to celebrate the contribution she has made to horseracing, to British life and the Commonwealth, is a real honour for all of us at The Jockey Club. Planning for this very special occasion has already begun, even before we have staged this year's Cazoo Derby Festival this weekend.”

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Watering to Continue at Epsom

Epsom Downs will receive more water on Wednesday morning, the racecourse announced on Tuesday. Epsom Downs Clerk of the Course and Head of Racing Andrew Cooper issued a going update on Tuesday evening in advance of the June 4-5 Cazoo Derby Festival.

“We've maintained a going report here of Good, Good To Firm in places and we produced a Turftrax GoingStick reading of 7.1, which is actually what it was on Sunday morning,” said Cooper in a statement.

“It had increased to 7.4 yesterday morning and the watering that we've done has improved matters a touch and brought us back to a stage where we were two days ago–which is historically pretty much good ground. However there is definitely ground that's on the quicker side on bits of the course though, hence that going description.

“We've had another hot day and it looks a hotter day still tomorrow, with talks of 26 or 27 degrees in the South East. Epsom is often a degree or so lower than the maximum because we're quite elevated here and often have a bit of a breeze so it would often be hotter at Sandown than here in terms of actual temperature.

“The plan here and now is to embark on a watering programme again tomorrow but quite exactly how much we'll leave until the morning. We'll take stock of the forecasts but I'm sure we'll be doing something quite widespread because we know we'll lose 3mm of moisture of soil here on a day like today.

“I'd say that we are now where we want to be in terms of a broad aim for Friday–as opposed to anything any slower or anything any quicker. That's quite a good ground condition to go into a two-day meeting on, which means you can probably let nature take its course thereafter and be no worse than Good To Firm on Saturday.

“You'd have called us Soft on Monday of last week but by Friday you wouldn't have called it any slower than Good To Soft. All courses up and down the country are drying out at the moment but Epsom Downs being chalk-based is rather free draining and it can turn very quickly.”

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