Adayar (foaled 31 March 2018) is an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2021 Epsom Derby. He showed promise as a two-year-old in 2020, winning the second of his two starts by nine lengths. In the following year he finished second in both the Sandown Classic Trial and the Lingfield Derby Trial before winning the Derby. On his next start, he became the first Derby winner in 20 years to follow up with a victory in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Adayar is a son of the top stallion Frankel.
Background
Adayar is a bay colt bred in Ireland by Sheikh Mohammed's Godolphin organisation. He was sent into training with Charlie Appleby at Moulton Paddocks in Newmarket, Suffolk.
He was from the fifth crop of foals sired by Frankel, an undefeated racehorse whose other progeny have included Cracksman, Anapurna, Soul Stirring and Without Parole. Adayar's dam Anna Salai was a high-class racemare who won the Prix de la Grotte and finished second in the Irish 1000 Guineas. She was a daughter of the Prix d'Aumale winner Anna Palariva, who was in turn, a daughter of Anna of Saxony who won the Park Hill Stakes. Anna of Saxony's grand-dam Anna Paola was a German mare who won the Preis der Diana and was the female-line ancestor of Annie Power and Billesdon Brook.
Anna Salai is the name of a major road in Chennai and the Adayar is a river in the same city.
Racing career
2020: two-year-old season
On both of his starts in 2020, Adayar was ridden by William Buick. The colt made his racecourse debut in a maiden race at Nottingham Racecourse over eight and a half furlongs on soft ground on 14 October when he started the 11/5 favourite in an eleven-runner field. After looking outpaced and stumbling at half way he stayed on well in the closing stages but never looked likely to win and came home fourth behind Set Point, beaten six and a half lengths by the winner. Two weeks later, over the same course and distance, Adayer started at odds of 3/1 for a similar event and recorded his first success as he took the lead three furlongs from the finish and drew away in the closing stages to win "comfortably" by nine lengths.
2021: three-year-old season
For his first appearance as a three-year-old, Adayar was stepped up in class and distance for the bet365 Classic Trial over ten furlongs at Sandown Park on 23 April when he started the 8/1 fourth choice in a ten-runner field. Ridden by James Doyle he started slowly but made steady progress in the last three furlongs (despite losing a shoe) to take second place, half a length behind the William Haggas-trained winner Alenquer. Buick was in the saddle two weeks later when the colt started 6/5 favourite for the Novibet Derby Trial Stakes over one and a half miles at Lingfield Park. He recovered from another slow start to track the leaders but despite staying on well in the closing stages he was beaten into second place by Third Realm, beaten one and a quarter lengths by the winner.