Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby worked two of his more experienced stable stars on the Rowley Mile Racecourse at Newmarket today ahead of day two of the bet365 Craven Meeting.
Five year old Adayar, winner of The Derby and King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 2021, worked out ahead of his intended reappearance in the Group Three bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes over 10 furlongs at Sandown Park on Friday 28th April.
He was joined by four year old Native Trail, who was unbeaten as a two year old when his victories included the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket. Last season, his best performances came when runner-up in the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and when successful in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.
Appleby said: “Adayar has come up there with his lead horse and I am delighted with him. I am pleased I brought him up here – you can’t beat a racecourse gallop. With these older horses, as they get older, they get a year wiser and at home they get a bit more complacent.
“I was happy with him. He travelled well. We weren’t asking him to do any strong work because we are only 10 days off a run now. It was just a nice sensible piece of work and we’ll head to the Gordon Richards Stakes now for what we hope will be a stepping stone to the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (at Royal Ascot).
“I was also delighted with Native Trail. He’s a horse that has shown all his usual enthusiasm. One thing we learnt at the backend of his three year old career was that he is not a mile and a quarter horse – he’s a miler. The plan is to go to the Paradise Stakes at Ascot and use that as a prep for the Queen Anne Stakes (at Royal Ascot), all being well.”
Last season Appleby described the son of Oasis Dream as having the constitution of ‘ a rhinoceros’ but is now certain his future lies at a mile.
The trainer continued: “He’s a block of a horse. What he did as a two year old, he went on to do to a level as a three year old.
“He has run good, solid races throughout his career but was disappointing in the Juddmonte (at York, where he finished fifth) on his final start last season. I just think the style of the race didn’t suit him compared to Sandown (where Native Trail finished third in the Coral-Eclipse), At Sandown, they go steady and then quicken up the hill which helped him. He didn’t gallop to the line at Sandown but got there. That led us down the path to take our chance in the Juddmonte where they went an end to end gallop and from half a mile out Will (Buick, jockey) said his petrol had run out.
“So, after that he was only going to go one way and that was back to a mile.
“He didn’t run again after the Juddmonte as soft ground on Champions Day would have been no good to him and he wasn’t a horse we were going to take out to America.
“Our operation has thankfully been keeping these older horses in training. Both horses worked well today. I am very happy and thankful to Newmarket for letting us use the racecourse.”
