Adelaide (horse)

Adelaide's only start as a two-year-old was in a maiden race over one mile at Leopardstown Racecourse on 26 October in which he started the 9/2 second favourite behind his stable companion Gypsy King. Ridden by Michael Hussey, he took the lead inside the final furlong and won by two and a half lengths from the Jim Bolger-trained Fiscal Focus, with Gypsy King in third.[3]

On his three-year-old debut Adelaide travelled to France for the Prix Hocquart at Longchamp. He finished half a length behind Free Port Lux but beat eventual Grand Prix de Paris winner Gallante into third place. He returned to Ireland to win the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes being ridden by regular Ballydole Jockey Joseph O'Brien for the first time. A month later Adelaide started the favourite for the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot but finished second place behind Eagle Top.[4]

In July he travelled to Belmont Park to contest the first running of the Belmont Derby along with UAE Derby winner Toast of New York. Ridden by Colm O'Donoghue, he took the lead in the straight but was overtaken inside the final furlong and was beaten a neck by the 23.5/1 outsider Mr Speaker.[5] Following this performance he was entered into the Grade I Secretariat Stakes and returned to the United States to contest the race at Arlington Racetrack on 16 August. He started favourite and after sitting behind the front runner Tourist jockey Ryan Moore picked him up in the closing stages and he went on to win by one and a half lengths from Tourist.

On his return to Europe, Adelaide started 5/1 fourth favourite for the Prix Niel (a trial race for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe) over 2400 metres at Longchamp. Ridden by Moore he struggled to obtain a clear run in the straight before finishing strongly and appeared unlucky in finishing only third behind Ectot and Teletext.[6] The colt bypassed the Arc and was sent to Melbourne to contest Australia's premier weight-for-age race, the Cox Plate over 2000 metres at Moonee Valley Racecourse on 25 October. Ridden again by Moore, he started 7/1 third favourite, having been drawn on the outside of the field. Moore dropped the horse to last place in the early stages before making steady progress and moving up on the outside to dispute the lead on the final turn. He gained the advantage inside the final furlong and won by a short neck from the favourite Fawkner with the New Zealand mare Silent Achiever a short head away in third. He became the first horse trained outside Australia and New Zealand to win the Plate. After the race Moore said "We had several plans and we didn't really do any of them. He jumped slowly and I went back to any plan I could think of. They went so fast to the bend the first time I could not get where I wanted to be. When they started to slow going down the hill, I had to get closer. I was going around them and I was able to make my ground smoothly and keep a fairly constant speed".[7]

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding