GRIN REAPER!

Axed Adam has last laugh in Derby after losing the ride on race rival

DERBY week turned into an emotional roller- coaster for Adam Kirby. After losing the ride on a leading contender, he emerged with the biggest win of his career on 16-1 shot Adayar.

No wonder he took five minutes in the Weighing Room to take stock and gather his thoughts before coming out for the trophy presentation.

When Kirby lost the ride on 8-1 shot John Leeper to Frankie Dettori after the Italian unexpectedly became available on Wednesday, the Weighing Room was where Kirby looked like he would be watching the most important race of the Flat season from.

But Kirby’s close association with trainer Charlie Appleby saw his Cazoo Derby dream rekindled when called up for Adayar. While he was an impressive four-and-a-half length winner, Ed Dunloptrained John Leeper beat only two of the 11 runners home.

To add a further twist to the tale, Kirby had originally been offered the mount on Lingfield Derby Trial runner- up Adayar but turned it down because he had ‘given his word’ he would ride John Leeper a few minutes earlier. With prize-winning understatement, Kirby said: ‘What goes round comes round.’

It was a first Classic win for Kirby on only his second ride in the £1.125million Derby, having been 11th on Dubai Thunder in 2017.

But the 32-year-old delivered the coolest performance as Adayar defied unfavoured stall one — the last winner to win from there was Oath in 1999 — and hugged the inside rail before making a racewinning, ground-saving move up the inside of pacesetting Gear Up two furlongs out.

Owned by Sheik Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, Adayar beat Richard Hannon-trained 50-1 shot Mojo Star to give trainer Appleby his second Derby victory following Masar in 2018.

Appleby also trained third-placed Hurricane Lane, who had gone into the race perceived as his first string with Appleby’s No1 jockey William

Buick on board. But the 2021 Derby was all about the winning jockey, a rider whose talents have not reaped the opportunities he has deserved.

Asked about how he reacted when he lost the John Leeper ride, Kirby said: ‘You wouldn’t have wanted to be around me for the first hour of that night, but then I got over it. Luckily I spoke to Charlie relatively quickly. His loyalty is unbelievable.

‘ He had a jockey booked ( for Adayar) and that was a champion jockey (Oisin Murphy). But he was kind enough to let me ride the horse. Full credit to him — he’s a great trainer, a great man and I can’t thank him enough.

‘It’s not sunk in yet. To be able to ride class horses when you are just a run-of-the-mill jockey and get the chance on a big day to deliver is a marvellous day. It will be a day that will never be forgotten. I’m not really a person to get overly excited about things but it’s a real buzz. I hope my kids are watching.’

Kirby may not hold an official position at Appleby’s stable but he has a close association with it, riding more than 100 winners at a 30 per cent strike rate.

He also helped break in Adayar and Appleby’s other two Derby runners at the livery yard near Newmarket he runs with partner Megan.

There was also a neat symmetry t o Kirby’s win coming on t he 40th anniversary of Shergar’s memorable Derby success under the late Walter Swinburn.

As a young rider Kirby was stable jockey to Swinburn when he started training. Kirby added: ‘He was a great man. He taught me always to be very cool and calm and relaxed about things although I wouldn’t say that’s come out in me today!’

Adayar’s win was also the first in the Derby for his sire Frankel.

The performance of David Eganri dden Mojo Star was a huge moment f or Amo Racing, t he developing racing operation of football agent Kia Joorabchian, whose clients include ex-Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho.