Derby hero Adayar 'has his spark back' as Charlie Appleby plots return

Charlie Appleby says last year's Derby winner Adayar "has got his old spark back" and is preparing him for a second half of the season campaign after a bout of coughing delayed his 2022 return.

The son of Frankel was slated to return in the Coronation Cup at Epsom in early June, but in May it was announced he had a revised target of the Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot.

However, the royal meeting came and went and then this week Appleby was forced to scratch Adayar from the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on July 23, a race he won impressively a year ago at the expense of Mishriff.

Adayar is said to have recovered and is back cantering, although Appleby does not want to commit to a target at this stage.

Appleby said: "Adayar is back cantering away and hopefully this coughing episode is behind him. We took him out of the King George a couple of days ago for the simple reason that I'd have had to force him to do something and I don't want to have to do that.

"In the last ten days, the way we've seen him turn around, he's a different horse and most importantly he looks great and has got his old spark back. He's having a buck and a kick when he goes out and I've not seen that for six weeks or more.

"We're starting to see the old Adayar back but 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," added Appleby.

The champion trainer also had an update on Native Trail, who went into new territory when tackling a mile and a quarter for the first time at Sandown last Saturday.

He finished third in a bunched finish to the Coral-Eclipse behind Vadeni and Mishriff, beaten a neck and a head, and appears set to drop back down in trip.

Native Trail: won the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas under William BuickCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Appleby said: "I thought Native Trail ran a solid race in the Eclipse but was just outstayed at that level. He got ten furlongs but he didn't go through the line at ten.

"He's always going to be a very competitive horse at that trip but do I think we can reverse the form on the first and second? I'd be very surprised, so personally I would come back to the mile, look at France and go for the Prix Jacques le Marois and then work our way from there."

The Moulton Paddocks team were luckless a day later in France when Hurricane Lane finished eighth of nine in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Appleby said of last year’s Irish Derby and St Leger winner: "Unfortunately it was documented it was soft ground [in France]. We knew it wasn't going to be soft but in the morning my lads walked it and said it was good ground. By the time racing had started it was good to firm and William [Buick] said even going to post he wasn't enjoying it. Most importantly he's come out of it fine.

"It's a very simple rule now, we'll be waiting for soft ground and when that appears you'll start to see Hurricane Lane back out and hopefully at his best again."

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