King George rematch on the cards for Luxembourg and Adayar

Nick Robson
June 21, 2023 4:38 pm

Prince of Wales’s placed runners heading for Ascot return.

Luxembourg and Adayar look set renew rivalry at Ascot next month after filling the places in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Luxembourg was the marginal favourite at 2-1 for what appeared a strong renewal of the feature event on day two of the Royal meeting and set out to make every yard of the running in the hands of Ryan Moore.

The three-time Group One winner was powerless to resist the late surge of the impressive Mostahdaf, but stuck to his guns to fill the runner-up spot and O’Brien is keen to step up to a mile and a half in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 29.

🏆 Mostahdaf surges down the home straight to win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes
He’s beaten the big guns, and comfortably too!#ITVRacing | #RoyalAscot | @JimCrowley1978 | @thadygosden pic.twitter.com/LQZ4OjhRLm
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 21, 2023

“We’re very happy and the winner won very well,” said the Ballydoyle handler.

“The plan was that we would have a look at the King George after this anyway. That’s possible, so we’ll see how he is. He was always going to get a mile and a half well.”

Adayar won the Derby and the King George during the summer of 2021 and Charlie Appleby was keen to enhance his potential stallion value by bagging a Group One over a mile and a quarter this term.

However, after seeing his charge beaten four and a half lengths by Mostahdaf, the Moulton Paddocks maestro admitted he appears to be “crying out” for a return to a longer trip, therefore another King George challenge appears the logical target.

Adayar winning the 2021 King George at Ascot (Nigel French/PA)

“The way the race was set up wasn’t ideal for us. He was a little bit tardy from the gate and we wanted to either be on the lead or sit second to the American horse, but we ended up in the spot we thought Ryan might end up, that was our plan,” he said.

“I was pleased with the horse in respects to the fractions that were set, it was set up for a turn of foot at the end and the winner is good at that.

“I feel for our fella, we’ll step back up to a mile and a half now and go for the King George, that’s what he’s crying out for.

“We’ve had a go over 10 furlongs with him, but against the very best he’s just come up a little short a couple of times. But I’m not walking away too disappointed. If he can reclaim the King George, we’ll be very happy.”