Adayar secures Royal Ascot spot with easy G3 Gordon Richards Stakes win

Adayar warmed up for the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes with a straightforward victory on his return to action in the G3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket, UK, on Sunday, 7 May.

Making his first appearance since finishing second in October’s G1 Champion Stakes, the Frankel entire soon settled in third as Highland Avenue led the five runners up the centre of the course.

Adayar took second from Regal Reality three furlongs out and the Charlie Appleby-trained five-year-old loomed up to join his stable-companion passing the two-furlong pole.

The 2021 G1 Derby and G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner took up the running soon after before galloping out strongly to score by two and a half lengths under William Buick.

Highland Avenue rallied on his first outing in 14 months but was caught for second in the closing strides by Anmaat.

Charlie Appleby said: “You always like to see good horses win with authority, and that is what Adayar has done today. We were very happy coming into the race – the ground is testing today and he got tired – and there should be a nice progression into the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.”