Saturday Group Roundup: Awesome Adayar but Mohaafeth needs more
There was a feast of group level racing in the UK and USA on Saturday as July bought the heat on the flat.
Planet Sport is here with a recap of the best action from worldwide stakes racing, including an awesome win for Godolphin's Adayar at Ascot, a debatable ride from Jim Crowley on William Haggas' Mohaafeth, and a shock for Shadwell at Saratoga.
King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes (Group 1): Adayar
Observers will point to the weight to age advantage of Charlie Appleby's colt over AP O'Brien's star filly Love and John and Thady Gosden's international player Mishriff, but there are few horses in the world that will live with the Epsom Derby winning Adayar's relentless galloping at present.
Adayar, ridden by the smooth Will Buick, became the first horse since grandsire Galileo to win the Derby and the King George in the same season.
Available at a general 5/1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, Godolphin have an embarrassment of riches to target the big one at Longchamp with Hurricane Lane, another of the sons of Frankel with beastly ability.
What a performance, what a colt! ✈️
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 24, 2021
Adayar is a fantastic winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes for William Buick, Charlie Appleby and @godolphin at @Ascot pic.twitter.com/tv0hG4QIem
Sky Bet York Stakes (Group 2) : Bangkok
Bangkok is owned by the family in control of Leicester City Football Club and proved a fox in the box to get up by a head from Mohaafeth who flunked an open goal when it was easier to score.
An epic tussle in the G2 Sky Bet York Stakes! 🙌
— Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) July 24, 2021
BANGKOK sticks his neck out to just pip Mohaafeth and Juan Elcano.
🎥 @itvracing
pic.twitter.com/tukTp8dFxR
Coaching Club American Oaks (Grade 1): Maracuja
Tod Pletcher's Curling filly had the luxury of the rail and Maracuja took a wide course under Ricardo Santana Junior, but position mattered little when it came to true grit and saying power, as the 147/10 shot ground out a gutsy head victory on the dirt.
All in all, a disappointing day for Shadwell but all three races showed that it is the horses that keep their eyes on the prize and combine tenacious galloping with top level race concentration that prevail.
Shock result! Maracuja beats Malathaat in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga @TheNYRA! @RSantana_Jr pic.twitter.com/J549n9eGb5
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 24, 2021