Adam Kirby admits he is unlikely to ride Adayar again after win at Cazoo Derby at Epsom


Adam Kirby admits he is unlikely to ride Adayar again after 32-year-old achieves career-high win at Cazoo Derby at Epsom as jockey prepares to say goodbye to ‘true champion’ colt

  • Adam Kirby admits he will probably never ride Adayar again after huge win 
  • The 32-year-old rode the colt to victory in Saturday’s Cazoo Derby at Epsom 
  • That win was a career-best result for Kirby and a fairytale moment for the jockey
  • Kirby labelled the colt a ‘true champion’ and says he is ready to say goodbye 

Adam Kirby accepts he will probably never ride Adayar again after the colt gave him his biggest career win in Saturday’s Cazoo Derby at Epsom.

It was a fairytale result for 32-year-old Kirby, especially as he was replaced by Frankie Dettori on John Leeper — who finished well out of the places — three days before the race.

Kirby’s close association with Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby ensured he did not miss out on a Derby mount as he replaced champion jockey Oisin Murphy for only his second ride in the Classic on 16-1 shot Adayar.

Adam Kirby has accepted that he is unlikely to ride Adayar again after his Epsom triumph

Adam Kirby has accepted that he is unlikely to ride Adayar again after his Epsom triumph

Kirby said: ‘We all know William Buick is Charlie Appleby’s stable jockey and James Doyle is second jockey. I doubt I will ride Adayar again because the boys will have him back. That’s their job.

‘I’ve accepted he is not my horse for the rest of my life. I wish them all the best on him. He’s a true champion.

‘William was the first man to congratulate me pulling up and James was also fantastic. They are two great jockeys and it’s great to have them as pals.’

Adayar, the Lingfield Derby Trial runner-up, went into the race as Appleby’s third string but emerged as the trainer’s second Derby winner and a horse on a steep improving curve.

Time will tell how strong Adayar’s Derby form is but it can initially be marked up.

The 32-year-old rode the colt to victory on Saturday in a career-high moment for the jockey

The 32-year-old rode the colt to victory on Saturday in a career-high moment for the jockey

He started from unfavoured stall one — the last winner to emerge from there was Oath in 1999 — and the contours of Epsom’s track are not designed to suit a big, raw colt like him.

The Irish Derby at the Curragh in 19 days is the next logical step for him. He is likely to face a clash there with High Definition, the winter favourite for the Derby who missed Epsom because trainer Aidan O’Brien decided the colt needed more time to reach his peak.

Going into the Derby, Appleby mentioned September’s St Leger at Doncaster as an option for Adayar. But with a dearth of older top-class middle distance contenders in his stable, the King VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot next month might be a tempting target, potentially throwing up a clash with Aidan O’Brien’s Cazoo Oaks winner Snowfall.

Kirby labelled the colt a 'true champion' and says he is ready to say goodbye to the horse

Kirby labelled the colt a ‘true champion’ and says he is ready to say goodbye to the horse

Significantly, Adayar delivered a first Derby win as a sire for the great unbeaten Frankel. Adayar was one of his three sons to line up in the race including Hurricane Lane, who finished third for Appleby.

Frankel still has some way to go to match the five Derby wins of his sire Galileo but his progeny are doing well. Galileo’s remarkable influence since he won the 2001 Derby has driven the dominance in the race of O’Brien and his Coolmore Stud partner backers.

You have to have deep pockets to send a mare to Frankel. His stud fee is £175,000. But Frankel could level the playing field a little when it comes to sourcing Derby prospects.



Source link