Adayar , who provided jockey Adam Kirby with a breakthrough Derby (G1) success at Epsom two years ago, has been retired to stud following a tame effort at Newmarket earlier this month.
Godolphin’s homebred also landed the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) in 2021 but has not scaled those heights since and disappointed when second in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes (G2) in the aforementioned Newmarket race July 13.
“Adayar provided the team with two outstanding days on the racecourse at Epsom and Ascot and has been a firm favorite in the yard for the past three seasons,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “He has been an absolute pleasure to train. He’ll be sorely missed at Moulton Paddocks but we look forward to watching him in his new career at stud and are quite sure he will be a huge success.”
No stud plans have been announced for Adayar, who was overlooked by William Buick when he rode Hurricane Lane in the Derby, allowing Kirby to enjoy the greatest moment of his career.
Kirby had been due to ride John Leeper for Ed Dunlop but was replaced by Frankie Dettori, which led to Oisin Murphy being taken off Adayar. In the Derby, Kirby and Adayar, who went off a 16-1 shot, enjoyed a smooth passage and powered away from outsider Mojo Star to win by 4 1/2 lengths, with Hurricane Lane third.
Buick, Appleby’s stable jockey, was back in the saddle for the King George, in which the son of Frankel repelled the high-class Mishriff and Love .
However, he was beaten in the 2021 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) and Champion Stakes (G1) and was off until September last year when he landed a conditions race at Doncaster.
Another defeat in the Champion Stakes followed and, although Adayar struck this year in the Gordon Richards Stakes (G3) on his return this campaign, he was third in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot before his run at Newmarket.
He won once at age 2, strolling home by nine lengths at Nottingham in a maiden. For his career, he compiled a 5-4-1 record in 13 starts and earned the equivalent of $2,553,575 according to Equibase figures.
