3 minute read

Charlie Appleby's Adayar was sent off the 1/3 market leader to get back to winning ways on Newmarket's July Course this afternoon, but it was Israr that spoiled the party as Jim Crowley completed a double on the opening day of the three-day festival.

As expected, Global Storm took the quartet along at a reasonable clip as the short-priced favourite Adayar tracked his stablemate for much of the contest. The pace began to increase approaching the three-furlong marker and Global Storm soon came under pressure. Adayar swept on by as he bid to put the race to bed, but it soon became apparent the 1/3 market leader had a fight on his hands as Israr mounted his challenge down the centre of the track.

The Shadwell-owned colt soon seized the initiative with two furlongs to run and stretched right away in taking fashion for a comfortable four-and-a-half length victory in the Group 2 Princess Of Wales's Stakes. 2021 Epsom Derby hero was no match for the winner back in second while the front-running Global Strom finished a further six and a half lengths behind in third. Grand Alliance rounded out the four.

It was a first success of the season for Israr following two solid second-placed efforts at Newbury and York including when finding only Quickthorn too strong in Listed company over 1m6f last-time-out.

It was a third win in the race for trainer John Gosden, who said: "The last time we ran him at York it was over a mile six and it was a mistake as it was too far, and he took on a good stayer that day. They have gone strong fractions today and they are not far off a track record. It was a great performance and he coped with the ground. It was genuine good to firm ground.

"Take nothing away from that performance - it was the best performance of his life.

"He coped with the ground well so from that point of view he has run a great race, but that wouldn't be his favourite [ground]. Like most horses he likes it good.

"He is improving, and I don't want to rush him in any big races like the King George. I expected him to run well today, but I didn't expect him to beat Adayar like that.

"I think it [the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes] would be too soon and too quick after a performance like that and I wouldn't want to do that [go to Ascot]. I'd like to try and box a bit more cleverly than that. We were coming here today taking on an odds-on shot. We were confident he would put a good performance in, but I think if we space his races, he will be a nice horse right the way through to the Sheema Classic next year.

"I do [have some steppingstones on my mind] but I've not got them organised yet. I will have to get the old book out."

Jim Crowley added: "He has probably been unlucky a couple of times this year. I thought he got mugged at Newbury. He came down the outside, fought his horse off, and one nipped up the inside and he didn't get the chance to fight with it.

"He didn't quite get home last time at York, but he is probably only just coming to himself now. He is a big, strong horse that is getting better with racing and age.

"At the time no, I wouldn't say he was masquerading in handicaps last year, but I suppose if you look back now, he was. He got beat in the November Handicap at the end of last year and he was entered in lots of big handicaps at the start of this year, and I think he was ante-post favourite for the Chester Cup.

"He is a work in progress, and he has got better with every run as we saw today. He has got some very good trainers that prepare him which is always a very big help.

"He has a very good personality. He is very laid back, but he is tough, and he tries hard and wants to win and that is all you can ask.

"As soon as I got upsides Adayar at the two pole I pretty much knew we had got him beat.  It looks as though a mile, and a half is definitely his trip."

Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby said of the second Adayar: "Will [Buick] was happy throughout the race and he made that move on him. When he made the move, we thought he'd go and put it to bed. To be fair to Israr, he came under the pump before we did and we thought we had got him at it, but Will just said he felt disappointing as he hit the rising ground. He said he just emptied out on him.

"We'll get him home and see what the vitals say after the race, but it wasn't the ground. He's won on quick ground before so I'm not going to use that as an excuse. We'll see if anything comes out in the wash, but Will said throughout the race he was happy and travelling well.

"They've gone both sides of Global Storm [Adayar's stablemate] and he said that Jim [Crowley] was putting Israr under the pump a few strides before him, but when he hit the rising ground, he emptied out pretty quick. He's been showing signs at home since Royal Ascot, so I can't say anything more than that really.

"Global does his job and he's a rock-solid old campaigner. He does what he says on the tin, and he always runs well in these races, both in Europe and when he goes travelling. We'll go back travelling with him and see what we can find."