ADAYAR OUT TO JOIN THE IMMORTALS
TRAINER Charlie Appleby says Derby winner Adayar has bounced back from the problem which caused him to miss his prep race for tomorrow’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and will go into Europe’s biggest race in the ‘form of his life’.
Adayar suffered an undisclosed setback and missed two important pieces of work, prompting him to sidestep last month’s Prix Niel at Longchamp.
But Appleby says everything has gone to plan since then for William Buick’s mount as he heads into the race alongside equally talented stablemate Hurricane Lane.
Appleby said: ‘Any setback is never ideal. We couldn’t afford to meet with another. But having hit every target we have put in front of him since, I am confident Adayar will go into the Arc in the form of his life.
‘We have seen what Hurricane Lane can do over a mile and a half. We are supremely privileged to have two colts of their profiles going into the Arc.’
History beckons for both colts, who will try to give Godolphin their first Arc success since Marienbard in 2002.
If Adayar wins, he will join the great Mill Reef (1971) and Lammtarra (1995), the only threeyear-olds who previously landed the Arc, the Derby at Epsom in June and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in July.
Hurricane Lane, ridden by James Doyle, will try to become the first horse to win the St Leger and the Arc in the same season.
The trainer, whose only previous Arc runner was the unplaced Ghaiyyath in 2019, believes it is the finishing kick Adayar showed when winning at Epsom and Ascot that prompted the stable’s No1 jockey Buick to choose him.
In the 19 runnings of the Arc at Longchamp this century, only three have been won by a horse starting from a double-figure starting stall.
That is a better statistic for Hurricane Lane (stall 2) than Adayar (11) and the prospect of ever softening ground as rain hits Paris later today could also play better for Hurricane Lane.
Fittingly with this being the 100th running of the €5million Arc, the field is stacked with quality. Soft-ground lover Alenquer, well drawn in eight, looks an interesting 25-1 shot for trainer William Haggas and the challenge from Ireland is headed by Tarnawa. The mare, owned by the Aga Khan and ridden by Christophe Soumillon, has been targeted at the race by trainer Dermot Weld after Group One wins last year included the Prix de l’Opera.
Aidan O’Brien has won the Arc twice and runs three. It is hard to see him providing Frankie Dettori, who rides Love, with a seventh win.
Snowfall, the mount of Ryan Moore, looked special when winning the English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks.
Raabihah has been 25-1 in the ante-post betting and last year’s fifth is drawn widest in stall 15. TV: Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, tomorrow 3.05pm LIVE on ITV.