Royal Ascot ambitions as Godolphin stars Adayar and Native Trail light up the Rowley Mile

The Rowley Mile hosted the senior Godolphin stars on Wednesday morning including 2021 Derby winner Adayar, who trainer Charlie Appleby plans to campaign over a mile and a quarter for the first part of the season at least.

The son of Frankel, who was restricted to just two starts in 2022, could be on for a cracking rematch with his Champion Stakes conqueror Bay Bridge in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown on Friday week. That is earmarked as a warm-up for the Group 1 Prince of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

After a smooth winter, Adayar (William Buick) moved things up a gear when covering a mile with Royal Symbol (Harry Davies), with the pair finishing upsides.

Appleby said: "Adayar has come up there with his lead horse and I'm delighted with him. I'm pleased I brought him up here and 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."

He added: "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."

After having his four-year-old campaign restricted by a persistent respiratory issue, Adayar made a triumphant return at Doncaster in September before being denied by Bay Bridge at Ascot.

The champion trainer said: "We are very much on the front foot this season as this time last year unfortunately our dream had gone for the first half of the season and it became frustrating watching all those good races go by.

"He showed he was worth our patience at the back end when he won at Doncaster, which was more of an organised gallop, and went into Champions Day on ground that we know isn't his ideal."

Although his Derby and King George wins came at a mile and a half, Adayar is expected to be seen over shorter trips in 2023 in a bid to help enhance his stallion prospects.

Appleby revealed: "To start with, he'll be campaigned over a mile and a quarter because of his stallion CV. In this day and age, they want to see a bit more speed on the page. What he achieved in his three-year-old career by winning the Derby and King George was fantastic and everyone was delighted. From a commercial point of view, everyone would like to see that mile and a quarter stamped."

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Native Trail (James Doyle) kicked off proceedings when mastering his lead horse over seven furlongs and is to stick to a mile this year, kicking off in the Listed Paradise Stakes at Ascot in May.

The Moulton Paddocks outfit tried the son of Oasis Dream at a mile and a quarter twice last year but felt his "petrol ran out" behind Baaeed when last seen in the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York in August.

Appleby said: "I was delighted with Native Trail. One thing we learned at the back end of his three-year-old career was that he's 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."

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