Appleby To Divide And Conquer With His Star Sophomores, As Adayar Captures 'Old Spark'

Last year's G1 Cazoo Derby and G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is slowly rounding back into form after a start in this year's King George was mooted earlier this week, according to trainer Charlie Appleby. The Classic winner ran fourth in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in October and dropped to fifth in his 3-year-old finale, the G1 QIPCO Champion S. in the middle of that month. He has not graced a racecourse since.

Appleby said, “Adayar is cantering away. I took him out of the King George a few days ago because I was having to force him and I didn't want to have to do that. He's a super horse and he's been fantastic for us and from what we have seen in the last 10 days, he's a different horse.

“He's cantering away but most importantly he looks great and has got his old spark back about him. He's having a buck and kick again and I haven't seen that for six weeks or more as he's basically just been a horse. Now we are starting to see the old Adayar. I'm not going to target a race. He'll tell me when he's ready, and hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.”

The current plan is to separate 2-year-old champion and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas victor Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from his G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas conqueror Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) for their next starts. Third to Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) and Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in last Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse S. at Sandown, Native Trail will be stepped down in trip from 10 furlongs.

Appleby said, “I thought Native Trail ran a solid race and he was just outstayed at that level. Two [furlongs] down, I thought William [Buick] was just having to look after him. He got 10 furlongs but he didn't run through the line at 10. He'll be competitive at that trip, but do I think we can reverse the form with the first and second? I'd be surprised.

“I'd like to come back to a mile and take him for the [G1] Prix Jacques le Marois while Coroebus will go to the Sussex S. [at Goodwood on July 27], all being well.”

Also in action last weekend was Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the winner of the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Grand Prix de Paris before taking the G1 St Leger S. in September. The chestnut, third in the Arc, resumed with a third in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot, but was a puzzling eighth of nine in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud on July 3.

He said, “With Hurricane Lane, unfortunately the ground was too quick. They said it was soft, we knew it wouldn't be–it was good-to-soft in the morning, but just dried out all day to good-to-firm. William [Buick] wasn't hard on him, he said he wasn't even enjoying it going to the start.

“It's unfortunate as I didn't want to run him on good-to-firm ground twice this year, but that is what has happened. Most importantly he's come out of it fine. It's very simple now, we'll wait for soft ground and when that appears hopefully you'll see Hurricane Lane at his best again.”