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Adayar Ruled Out Of King George Defence at Ascot

Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will miss the defence of his G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes crown having been taken out of the race at the latest scratching stage.

The 2021 Derby winner memorably got the better of Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the Ascot showpiece 12 months ago-a double last achieved by Galileo (Ire) in 2001-and was poised to make his belated seasonal reappearance in the July 23 feature, having previously been ruled out of Royal Ascot and the G1 Coral-Eclipse this campaign.

Joining the 4-year-old in missing Ascot are stablemates Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), while others to exit the picture include Sir Mark Prescott's recent G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the Queen's Reach For The Moon (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

Sir Michael Stoute has won the race a record six times and goes for victory number seven with his Derby hero Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). He is one of 15 who remain in the hunt for the mile-and-a-half prize alongside Irish Derby hero Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who could be given the chance to atone for his troubled passage at Epsom and try to turn the tables on Desert Crown.

Aidan O'Brien is responsible for a fifth of the possible field and could be represented by High Definition (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Stone Age (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Royal Ascot scorer Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), while last year's shock Arc winner Torquator Tasso (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) could make an exciting raid having bounced back to form at Hamburg over the weekend.

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Yahagi Seeking More Global Success in July Cup

Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi has had quite the year on the international stage and his next target is this Saturday's G1 Darley July Cup with King Hermes (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}).

The 3-year-old colt, winner of the GII Keio Hai Nisai S. last season, arrived in Newmarket on June 24 with his stablemate Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), who is set to run in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. at Goodwood. King Hermes got his first taste of the July Course on Tuesday morning when working five furlongs under jockey Ryusei Sakai and accompanied by two geldings trained by Roger Varian and John Berry.

After watching his horse school in the pre-parade and parade rings in a relaxed manner which continued throughout the exercise, Yahagi, who arrived in the UK on Monday and was speaking via interpreter Kanichi Kusano of the Japan Racing Association, said, “I am conscious that the horse lost his speed in the last furlong and maybe that was the hill but this work will make him understand how to run on race day.”

King Hermes, who has made just five starts and has not run over six furlongs since his juvenile debut in June 2021, has more recently been tested at a mile, but his trainer is not concerned with the drop back in trip for the July Cup, with the undulations of the course being a factor in this decision.

He continued, “I feel that the ideal distance for this horse is seven furlongs but since you have the incline here then maybe reducing to six furlongs will suit him as well.

“I was worried about his inexperience until I saw the horses today, but now I have seen him I feel quite confident for the July Cup. I specifically love the July Cup and the July Course and it would be a real honour if I was fortunate enough to win this race.”

It will be a first ride in the UK for Ryusei Sakai, who has international race-riding experience in Australia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and France as well as at home in Japan. Yahagi is however familiar with Newmarket having spent three months on a Dubai-sponsored scholarship with Geoff Wragg's stable in 1990.

His love of travel have not abated since then. He last saddled runners in England at Royal Ascot a decade ago, but in the past year his profile on the world stage has risen, with a Breeders' Cup double courtesy of Marche Loraine (Jpn) and Loves Only You (Jpn) at Del Mar. This feat was followed by victory for Stay Foolish (Jpn) in the Longines Red Sea Turf H. on the Saudi Cup card and a treble on Dubai World Cup night with the aforementioned Bathrat Leon and Stay Foolish in the G2 Godolphin Mile and G2 Dubai Gold Cup respectively, while Panthalassa (Jpn) dead-heated with Lord North (Ire) in the G1 Dubai Turf. In among those international successes, Yahagi's Triple Crown winner of 2021, Contrail (Jpn), bowed out with victory in the G1 Japan Cup in November.

Japan has been represented by a July Cup winner in Agnes World, who won the race as a 5-year-old in 2000 for Hideyuki Mori in the hands of Yutaka Take.

Recalling this success for his home nation, Yahagi commented, “It is very difficult to compare King Hermes to [Agnes World] who was a very good sprinter. This horse is young and inexperienced but we are just looking forward to the experience.”

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First Winner For Recoletos

Haras du Quesnay's first-season sire Recoletos (Fr) (by Whipper) is off the mark after his daughter Markswoman (Fr) captured the opener at Compiegne on Tuesday. Fifth over 6 1/2 furlongs on debut at Craon June 13, the 23-5 shot was restrained early to race in rear. Cajoled into contention in early straight, she needed a remainder to overhaul Anoline (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) and responded to head that rival inside the last 100 metres for a 3/4-of-a-length success. She is the last known foal out of the dam, a relative of the Arc-winning champion Sakhee whose sole black-type performer to date is the Listed Prix Roland de Chambure runner-up Marasquin (Fr) (Zanzibari).

1st-Compiegne, €20,000, Mdn, 7-5, 2yo, 7fT, 1:26.39, g/s.
MARKSWOMAN (FR) (f, 2, Recoletos {Fr}–Marola {Fr}, by Kendor {Fr}) Sales history: €6,000 Ylg '21 ARQOCT; €17,000 2yo '22 OSAMAY. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, €10,900. Video, sponsored by TVG.
O-Jean Justin Fournier & Jean-Noel Bocahut; B-EARL La Ferme D'Auge (FR); T-Yann Barberot.

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Dettori And Gosdens Set To Reunite With Emily Upjohn And Inspiral

John Gosden is a man who chooses his words carefully, and when he released a statement to say that he and stable jockey Frankie Dettori were having “a sabbatical” it was an indication that the situation would be temporary.

The end to that sabbatical looks likely to come sooner that many had expected. On Tuesday morning in Newmarket Dettori was aboard Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the filly who was so narrowly denied victory in the Cazoo Oaks, and who will now head to the Curragh for the Juddmonte Irish Oaks on July 16. The pair galloped on the July Course shortly after 6am ahead of an appearance by Japanese Darley July Cup contender King Hermes (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) an hour later.

Gosden, at the track with his son and co-trainer Thady, and Emily Upjohn's part-owner Jon Shack, said, “It's lovely ground, in perfect condition for the July Meeting. We were very happy with her work and she's pointing towards the Irish Oaks. We're in the middle of a dry spell and the Japanese horse was coming so we thought we'd slip in on his coat tails. It's nice to get onto the grass and get a feel of the track.”

Of Dettori's reappearance aboard the filly, who will not take up her engagement in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., he added, “The plan is he will ride her in the Irish Oaks. That's why he's here this morning. We'll stay with the 3-year-old fillies for the moment. I've got a lot of respect for the two Derby winners, and for the Arc winner.”

Gosden continued, “I need a jockey that focuses. It can't be a part-time job. As it was pointed out at Wimbledon, Rafa Nadal practices the most and the hardest in the mornings. That's what it's all about. It's very clear. I've said I'm pleased with the way Frankie has just got on with it and is getting rides everywhere else. That's exactly what I wanted to see.

“He has rather taken pride in how few mounts he has in a season and I am very clear that, working with him in the last seven years, we've been very careful how we've managed it with the rides. He doesn't need to be charging off to the small tracks; those days are over, we did that in the 1990s together. But I am very clear that we need to be more focused and a little less part-time. That's all. And that's what it's about, it's about nothing else.”

Asked whether Dettori would ride G1 Coronation S. winner Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in Friday's G1 Tattersalls Falmouth S., Gosden replied, “There's no decision on Friday. He'll be riding that filly [Emily Upjohn] in the Irish Oaks, hopefully, the following weekend.”

The trainer later confirmed on the Nick Luck Daily podcast that Dettori will renew his partnership with Inspiral, who he has ridden to four of her five victories, at Newmarket.

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