Plans taking shape for sprinter Adonius
Trainer Rebecca Menzies is weighing a sequence of summer and autumn targets for her progressive juvenile sprinter Adonius, with entries under consideration at York and ParisLongchamp ahead of a likely move to race in the United States later in the season.
The son of Soldier’s Call skipped Royal Ascot and other mid-season options after completing a hat-trick when landing the Lily Agnes at Chester in May. He reappeared after a break in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood, where he was beaten for the first time but finished a creditable second to Pershaada.
Domestic and continental options
Menzies has indicated that the Roses Stakes, the Listed event on Ebor day at York, is a probable next step, with an alternative being a trip to ParisLongchamp for the Group 3 Prix d’Arenberg in early September. Both races would keep the colt against his own age group as connections plot the best route for him before winter plans are finalised.
The Roses Stakes on Ebor day (August 22) represents a convenient and prestigious domestic target that would give Adonius a valuable outing on the Knavesmire, while the Prix d’Arenberg (September 3) offers Group 3 black-type on a Parisian stage and an opportunity to test the colt at a higher level abroad.
American ambitions
Part of Adonius was sold to US-based connections Riverdee and West Paces following his Chester success, and Menzies has been open about an overseas chapter in his immediate future. A valuable Keeneland prize in early October has been identified as a possible first port of call in America, with longer-term aspirations centred on the Breeders’ Cup later in the season.
Connections have already started the necessary paperwork to facilitate a move stateside should they take that route, and the plan would be to leave the colt in the United States after a potential spell there, whatever the outcome of that first American engagement.
Menzies has pointed to Adonius’s natural turn of foot as a feature that could suit US turning tracks, citing his high cruising speed shown at both Chester and Goodwood. Any transatlantic campaign will be dependent on how his next run goes and on the logistics of shipping and acclimatisation, but the door is open for a split-season plan.
Where this sits for festivalgoers and the programme
From a festival perspective, the choices for Adonius connect several key fixtures on the summer calendar. A York appearance on Ebor day would add interest to one of the season’s biggest race meetings in Britain, while a slot at ParisLongchamp would underline the colt’s status among the leading juveniles in Europe.
If connections opt to bypass those options for an earlier move overseas, it would remove a high-profile contender from the late-summer juvenile ranks in Britain and France, but it would also create a compelling narrative for British-trained talent making the step into American racing at a young age.
Next steps
- Adonius’s immediate programme: likely entry to the Roses Stakes at York, with ParisLongchamp’s Prix d’Arenberg as an alternative.
- Longer-term plan: potential trip to Keeneland in October with an eye to staying in the United States for further targets including the Breeders’ Cup.
- Decision factors: performance in the colt’s next start, logistical arrangements for transatlantic travel and how connections choose to balance domestic black-type against international opportunities.
The coming weeks will reveal whether Adonius pitches in at York, heads to Paris or begins preparations for an American campaign. For racegoers and followers of the major meetings, his route will be one to watch as connections map out a path that spans Britain, continental Europe and potentially North America.
