Becomes the first Derby winner since Galileo to win the King George
English Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f) winner Adayar (3 c Frankel ex Anna Salai by Dubawi) run out a most taking winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 1m4f) at Ascot on Saturday to become the first Derby winner to also win the King George since Galileo (Sadler’s Wells in 2001.
Adayar was a little free in the early stages of the race pulling for his head in second position before settling better in the middle stages of the race under William Buick. Travelling sweetly into the straight he took over with two furlongs to run and sustained his effort the whole way to the line to score a strong length and three quarter victory over Mishriff (Make Believe) with a further length and three quarters back to the favourite Love (Galileo) in third.
"I'm speechless to be honest. He gives you the feel of endless power and it's a privilege to ride a horse like this because they don't come around very often," Buick said to ITV.
“Charlie [Appleby] wasn’t worried [about the ground] and good horses can adapt and that’s exactly what this horse did. It was a very simple race to ride once he dropped his head and when I picked him up he was instant and relentless until the line.”
