Superstar gelding Addeybb for William Haggas will not head over to Australia at the start of next year due to an injury setback, but will be staying in training in Britain next term.
The seven year old over a year ago went over to Australia for the first time in his career and at the back end of March 2020 became a black type winner for the first time when taking the Ranvet Stakes on his first start down under.
The big target whilst Addeybb was over there was to race in the Group One Queen Elizabeth Stakes and on April 11th, with the rain bringing his favoured soft ground, he went on to take the contest with ease.
Coming back over to the UK, he made his seasonal debut in the Group One Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Royal Ascot and he finished a decent second to the stand alone winner Lord North.
Haggas explained that he needed a run before heading to Ascot and was seen earlier this month when taking the Listed Doonside Cup, blowing away the cobwebs.
It looked a perfect prep run and with Magical, who beat him last year in the Group One race since winning another Group One, the form of the 2019 Champion Stakes looked superb.
Addeybb then went into the Champion Stakes looking to reverse some form and with the rain coming the gelding was an emphatic winner of the race, going on to land the third Group One of his career, seeing off a field full of top quality rivals.
Thriller! Addeybb, @TomMarquand and William Haggas do it again Down Under in the Group 1 Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes! pic.twitter.com/LMXTgToYGb
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 17, 2021
This year he has been seen twice back down under, finishing a narrow second in the Group One Ranvet Stakes behind the smart Verry Elleegant.
The two met again last time out in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and he managed to reverse the form under a superb ride by Tom Marquand.
Having conquered Australia for a second time he came back to England and having swerved Royal Ascot went straight to the Coral Eclipse where he was well beaten by the superstar St Mark's Basilica.
Not seen again until trying to retain his title in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, he could only go on to finish sixth of the nine runners, looking nowhere near his best.
(Credit ATR) Haggas said: “He came back home from hospital on Monday. I think and hope he’s going to be OK. He’s definitely made some improvement but that’s going to scupper him (going to Australia). He won’t be able to leave England next February.“
His infection markers have improved, we’re not out of the woods, but I think we’re making good headway.“Those sort of things can be nasty. They can be no good and it’s good he’s better.
“I very much hope he’ll be OK for next season. He owes us absolutely nothing and we won’t take any risks with him. From an Australian point of view this is a bad time, but from any other point of view it’s a good time to have a bit of a setback.”