Adayar major doubt for King George after shock odds-on Newmarket reverse
Charlie Appleby, the trainer of Adayar, has said there will be “a decision to make” on whether the 2021 Derby winner can run in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot this month, after his five-year-old was beaten at long odds-on behind Israr in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
Adayar, ridden by William Buick, was a 1-3 chance to beat only three opponents in the Group Two contest and surged into the lead, with Israr in close attendance, around three furlongs from home. He was soon labouring to keep Israr at bay, however, and while John Gosden’s colt ran on well up the final slope, Adayar weakened to finish four and a half lengths adrift at the line.
Israr’s connections seemingly have no immediate plans to run him in a Group One and Adayar was immediately pushed out as far as 33-1 (from around 9-1) for the King George, a race he won two years ago, after his disappointing effort.
“We will give it a week or 10 days and see if anything transpires,” Appleby said. “He owes no one anything, he’s a Derby winner. You certainly can’t go to a King George or a race like that on the back of a performance like that though.
“I thought he would go there and put it to bed. Israr, to be fair to him, came under the pump earlier than we did and we got him at it, but Will said he just emptied as he hit the rising ground.
“We will see what his vitals are like after the race, but it wasn’t the ground.
I’m not going to use that as an excuse.”
The victory completed a 76-1 Group Two double for Jim Crowley, Israr’s rider, after a change of tactics led to a 16-1 success for Jasour in the July Stakes. Jasour was last of the nine runners as the field reached halfway but the 16-1 chance sliced through from there before kicking two lengths clear inside the final furlong for a comfortable success.
“Mr [Clive] Cox thought it was vital to try and miss the kick and get him to relax,” Crowley said. “He did that and they went a nice easy tempo and he went through the gears nicely. I was always confident and waiting for a split and he picked up very well.”
The winner could now be aimed at either the Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood or the Group One Prix Morny at Deauville next month. “I think the key to him is riding him that way and he’ll only get better,” Crowley said. “He’ll improve the more he learns to race that way and he’s got a very potent kick, which is important.”
Nostrum, unraced since finishing third in last season’s Dewhurst Stakes, made a belated but hugely promising start to his three-year-old campaign with a convincing success in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes later on the card.
Sir Michael Stoute’s colt, a son of Kingman, pulled three lengths clear of the previously unbeaten Embesto with New Endeavour another two and a quarter away in third.
“We could go a mile and a quarter when we want,” Stoute said afterwards. “He will tell us [if he is ready to return to Group One company] but on that evidence you would think he is.
“His two-year-old career was brimful of promise. Things didn’t go right in the Dewhurst, and he has come here today and won impressively. We can only be very happy as he is a nice progressive horse.”
Nostrum was cut to 5-1 third-favourite for the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood next month by William Hill, in a market headed by Paddington, the winner of the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown five days ago.
Remarquee great value to land Falmouth
Via Sistina and Nashwa, aged five and four respectively, head the betting for the Group One Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on Friday but both are dropping back from middle distances to a mile and could be vulnerable to an improving three-year-old in Remarquee.
Ralph Beckett’s filly did not have the maturity to cope with a big field in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket earlier in the season, finishing 15th of 20 runners, but she resumed her progress to run Tahiyra to a length in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last month despite being hampered a furlong out.
That was just the fourth start of her career and Remarquee(3.35) looks an excellent bet at around 9-2 to find further improvement and record what would be a sixth win for a three-yearold in the last nine runnings of this race.
Newmarket 1.50 The drop back to 10 furlongs is not certain to suit Tagabawa, the likely favourite, and Mighty River is interesting at a double-figure price. James Tate’s colt has more mile on the clock but showed improved form last time out over this track and trip and could well be able to cope with a 4lb rise in the weights.
York 2.05Vafortino found plenty of trouble in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Ascot last month but still finished within five lengths of the winner. With a little more luck in running, he should go very close off a 1lb lower mark.
Newmarket 2.25 This Group Two for juvenile fillies was won by Mawj, this year’s 1,000 Guineas winner, 12 months ago and Star Of Mystery,who has won her last two starts by a combined total of 15 lengths, should improve her position in the early betting for the 2024 Classic with a third straight success.
York 2.40Royal Aclaim, sixth when favourite for last season’s Nunthorpe, is unexposed at six furlongs and looks overpriced at around 7-1 to get the better of Swingalong, third at 66-1 in the Commonwealth Cup last time.
Newmarket 3.00 The reliable Ravens Ark has dropped to just 1lb above his last winning mark and has a big each-way chance at around 10-1.