"He'll Be Sorely Missed"

Derby and King George winner Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) has been retired from racing with his trainer Charlie Appleby saying the Godolphin-owned five-year-old was “a pleasure to train”.

Adayar provided Appleby with a second Derby success at Epsom in 2021 when ridden by Adam Kirby before going on to beat his elders in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot the following month under William Buick.

He was subsequently beaten in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and the Champion S. and only made it to the track twice last season, albeit going close in the Champion S. when beaten just half a length by Bay Bridge.

Connections brought him back as a five-year-old in the hope of adding to his top-level tally-but while he made a successful comeback in the rescheduled Gordon Richards S. at Newmarket in May, he was beaten into third in the Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot and was turned over at short odds on his latest and final start at Newmarket.

Appleby told www.godolphin.com, “Adayar provided the team with two outstanding days on the racecourse at Epsom and Ascot and has been a firm favourite in the yard for the past three seasons. He has been an absolute pleasure to train.

“He will be sorely missed at Moulton Paddocks but we look forward to watching him in his new career at stud and are quite sure he will be a huge success.”