High expectations as Adayar steps back up in trip

2021 Derby hero dominates the Princess of Wales’s field at Newmarket.

Adayar returns to his “ideal trip” in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket on Thursday.

The bay son of Frankel, who won both the Derby and King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2021, was last seen coming home third behind surprise winner Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Trainer Charlie Appleby had hoped to get a Group One win over 10 furlongs on Adayar’s CV, but he returns to a mile and a half and drops back to Group Two company at Newmarket.

William Buick will team up with the five-year-old again in a race that has drawn a field of four, including stablemate Global Storm, with the rider confident a longer distance will play to his strengths.

Adayar during his Derby success at Epsom
Adayar during his Derby success at Epsom (Alan Crowhurst/PA)

“I’m really looking forward to seeing him back again,” Buick told Sky Sports Racing.

“He’s running over his ideal trip, a mile and a half, hopefully we can use that as a stepping stone for future targets.

“He still finished third (at Ascot), he was a bit slow away and there were a few things in the race that possibly didn’t quite suit. There’s plenty left there.”

John and Thady Gosden's Israr
John and Thady Gosden’s Israr (Nigel French/PA)

John and Thady Gosden are hoping that rain arrives in time for Israr to show his best.

The Shadwell-owned colt has been beaten on both outings this term, having been short-headed by Haskoy in the Aston Park at Newbury and then when Quickthorn had his measure upped to a mile and three-quarters for the first time at York.

“Israr breezed on Saturday morning, and he will appreciate any rain that comes our way,” said John Gosden. “It is a fresh track on the first day (of the three-day meeting), but Charlie (Appleby) looks like he has got a stranglehold on the race.

“We are very pleased with him and he has run very well this year. A mile-six just stretched him last time at York, but he would appreciate to get his toe in.

“A mile and a half is his trip, but I will be having a good look at the ground. He ran very well at Newbury on his return, but he had his ground that day.

“He is one of those big horses that is coming through the ranks. He is a big, powerful horse who is improving with age when the conditions are there to suit.”

Charlie Fellowes is also doing a rain dance for Grand Alliance, who won the John Porter at Newbury before being well held by Pyledriver in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot.

“Grand Alliance has come through the race at Ascot well,” said Fellowes. “I was really hoping that Newmarket was going to get a dump-load of rain on Monday night, but they have had very little.

“The ground would be quick at the moment and he won’t run if the ground remains quick – he wants some juice in the ground.

“No one seems to have a clue what the forecast is going to do at the moment, but with all these isolated storms around, we’ve declared him, just on the off-chance something hits.

Grand Alliance is an unlikely runner unless rain arrives
Grand Alliance is an unlikely runner unless rain arrives (PA)

“I’m afraid he will be a very unlikely runner unless something comes out of nowhere.

“He is a good horse and beat some very good horses at Newbury earlier in the year, so we will see.

“He’s still got the King George entry, but he wants soft ground. On soft ground, he is a very good horse, but on quick ground you might as well go home.”

In the other Group Two contest on the card, nine horses are scheduled to line up in the Kingdom Of Bahrain July Stakes.

Alice Haynes' Maximum Impact
Alice Haynes’ Maximum Impact (David Davies/PA)

Alice Haynes hopes Maximum Impact can answer a few questions that remained after his lacklustre run at Royal Ascot.

The Amo Racing-owned Havana Grey colt went into the Windsor Castle unbeaten after two wins over five furlongs at Leicester and over course and distance.

However, equipped with a tongue-tie, the second-favourite failed to fire and finished last of the 23 runners behind Big Evs.

Haynes feels he may have been over-awed by the experience and said: “He had been running in four or five-runner fields and he got surrounded by 22 others.

“He is a little bit of a timid colt and nothing ever came to light – there was nothing wrong with him, so we go again on Thursday.

“He had been working in a tongue tie and I just want to take everything off him this time and get his confidence back.”

Norfolk Stakes runner-up Malc goes up to six furlongs for the first time.

An easy Carlisle winner on his debut for Richard Fahey, the Calyx colt found only Valiant Force too good At Royal Ascot.

Fahey said: “We were delighted with him at Ascot. We’ve been happy with him since he’s come home and I should imagine six (furlongs) would suit him.

“He was 66-1 at Ascot, but we fancied him, as he had been working well before Ascot, so it wasn’t a big surprise.

“I think this will suit him better than five now, so fingers crossed.”

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