Adaay

Adaay put up a good performance to finish third in the Group 2 Park Stakes at Doncaster last Saturday. Held up towards the rear of the field by Paul Hanagan through the early stages of the race, William Haggas' colt made nice ground to move in behind the leaders on the run to the 1f pole, but he just couldn't get past the leader The Happy Prince, who was just caught by Breton Rock on the run to the line.

This was a good run from Adaay on his first run since he was beaten in the Group 2 Minstrel Stakes at The Curragh in mid-July. There is no doubting his talent, he won the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes last year, and he beat Limato in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes. He ended the season disappointingly last term, however, and his beginnings this season were a little inauspicious, he was well beaten on his first two runs, which coincided with a relatively quiet spell for his trainer.

With cheekpieces fitted for the Group 3 Criterion Stakes at Newmarket in July, however, and with the Haggas horses in better form, the Dubai colt ran a cracker to go down by just a head to Breton Rock on desperate ground, the pair of them clear. Saturday's run, with first-time blinkers replacing the cheekpieces, was probably another step forward.

Adaay will be of interest now wherever he goes next. He is entered in the British Champions' Sprint Stakes over six furlongs, and in the QE2 over a mile, but he is probably at his best over seven furlongs, and he goes well on easy ground, so his entry in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Newmarket on 7th October is his most interesting entry.

10^th September 2016

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