Adayar's Classic claims on the line in Lingfield Derby Trial

Adayar gets the opportunity to stake his claim for Epsom glory in the Novibet Derby Trial at Lingfield on Saturday.

Trainer Charlie Appleby began the week with several hopes for the Cazoo Derby on June 5.

But with Wirko and Yibir failing to run up to expectations in the Chester Vase and Dee Stakes earlier in the week, the Moulton Paddocks handler will be hoping Adayar emerges as a legitimate contender for next month’s premier Classic with victory this weekend.

The Frankel colt, who bolted up by nine lengths on his final juvenile start at Nottingham, made a promising start to his three-year-old campaign when runner-up to Alenquer in the Classic Trial at Sandown a couple of weeks ago.

Appleby said: “Adayar is proven on soft ground, although I’m always a little bit hesitant when you win a soft ground maiden. You could just have been the class horse in the race and on any ground you’d win.

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“Everyone is testing their (Derby) credentials – and with the other two going to Chester, we thought we’d let Adayar go to Lingfield, where he should get nice, easy ground as well.”

Despite being forced to rule out Epsom favourite High Definition due to unsatisfactory blood results, Aidan O’Brien still fires a twin assault in his bid for a sixth victory in the Listed contest.

Kyprios claimed his second win from three starts at Cork recently, while Tipperary scorer Carlisle Bay makes his first appearance since finishing a close-up third in the Group Three Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown in October.

O’Brien, whose Anthony Van Dyck completed the Lingfield-Epsom double two years ago, told Sky Sports Racing: “Carlisle Bay is a tough, solid horse who we always thought would get a mile and a half well.

“He’s a little bit lazy and a little bit laid back, but that’s the way he’s always been and he’s been working nicely.

“Kyprios is a horse we always liked last year. He had a nice run in a winners’ race in Cork a couple of weeks ago and we always thought he would get a mile and a half well as well.

“Both are in good form, we think both will get the trip well and we think both will come on from their runs.”

Richard Hannon’s Etonian and the Andrew Balding-trained Recovery Run both have significant ground to make up on Adayar after finishing seventh and ninth respectively at Sandown last month.

Scope (Ralph Beckett) and Third Realm (Roger Varian) complete the seven-strong field.

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