
Ed Walker targets Prix Foy with Almaqam
While that Sandown rival has gone on to contest – and win – some of the summer's highest profile middle-distance events, Almaqam has only been seen the once since, finishing second to Royal Champion when a beaten favourite at York last month.
Almaqam stays on strongly to land our feature event of the evening, the G3 @StarSports_Bet Brigadier Gerard Stakes for @edwalkerracing 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vYvqskLVW7
— Sandown Park (@Sandownpark) May 29, 2025
However, Walker is content to sit and wait for the right opportunity for his star colt to advertise his quality on his preferred going, now eyeing a move up to a mile and a half at ParisLongchamp on September 7 which could prove the catalyst for an exciting Arc tilt later in the autumn.
'He's bouncing but it's just a bit frustrating again that we can't get him out and we're just being patient and waiting for some soft ground,' said Walker.
'The plan at the moment is the Prix Foy and that will tell us if we're going to have a crack at the Arc or not or head for the Champion Stakes.'
He went on: 'I'm not sure if the ground may have caught him out at York last time really, as it was a very good performance from the winner. Probably the slightly drying ground and slick track just didn't play to his strengths.
'He's a hard horse to beat on soft ground so we just have to be patient.'
Almaqam is currently a best price of 50-1 for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, with odds of 16-1 available for the Qipco Champion Stakes on British Champions Day.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Powys County Times
42 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Ombudsman takes International crown at York
Ombudsman eventually came out on top in an exciting renewal of the Juddmonte International Stakes at York. The 7-4 favourite was ridden by William Buick for John and Thady Gosden, with the fellow Godolphin-owned runner Birr Castle sent out to make the running as a rank outsider in the field of six. The latter horse was afforded an enormous lead and as he rounded the turn for home it looked quite possible that the chasing pack would not catch him, but as he tired, Ombudsman was gaining ground. He eventually swept through to grab the lead and while Delacroix also made late gains, Ombudsman emerged a three-and-a-half-length winner. Birr Castle was transferred to the Gosdens to make the running at York and John Gosden said: '(Trainer) Andre Fabre said the horse was in top form and 'I hope he does a good job for you John, I would like you to have the same result as in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood (when the pacemaker won)'! 'I said 'OK Andre, I will do my best to make sure he goes a nice, even pace'. 'I thought with two furlongs to run Andre had won the race! You don't often see that, he's run a huge race to be third. 'I did say to William that if he'd sat four lengths off the pacemaker he'd have won by 10 lengths but there we go. 'What happened was the Japanese jockey was with Rab (Havlin on Birr Castle) but then he kept taking back and let Rab slip the field. Past the two marker, he was still six lengths in front. 'William said when he let him (Ombudsman) go, he absolutely flew and went from second gear to fifth gear in the blink of an eye.' Ombudsman had finished a neck behind Delacroix in the Eclipse last time out, but Gosden felt that race was perhaps not run to suit. He said: 'The Eclipse was a muddling race and we'll leave it at that. Full marks to Delacroix, but in an evenly-run race we were the superior horse today. 'This is a great win but I did think for a moment Andre would be the lucky man.' The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day Ombudsman was claiming the second Group One victory of his eight-race career to date, with Gosden's sights already set on more top-level success. He added: 'He had a little problem as a baby and we never raced him at two and he came along gradually. He's getting better and better, has trained well and was unbeaten last year. His only defeat this year was in the muddling Eclipse and he's a proper horse. 'The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day. It will be Sheikh Mohammed's decision if he stays in training but he is a sportsman. 'William thinks he'll stay a mile and a half but I think why change things? Were he to go for the Arc, we'd need one of the rare occasions with a fast-ground Arc – which do happen occasionally.'


South Wales Guardian
3 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Ombudsman takes International crown at York
The 7-4 favourite was ridden by William Buick for John and Thady Gosden, with the fellow Godolphin-owned runner Birr Castle sent out to make the running as a rank outsider in the field of six. The latter horse was afforded an enormous lead and as he rounded the turn for home it looked quite possible that the chasing pack would not catch him, but as he tired, Ombudsman was gaining ground. He eventually swept through to grab the lead and while Delacroix also made late gains, Ombudsman emerged a three-and-a-half-length winner. Birr Castle was transferred to the Gosdens to make the running at York and John Gosden said: '(Trainer) Andre Fabre said the horse was in top form and 'I hope he does a good job for you John, I would like you to have the same result as in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood (when the pacemaker won)'! 'I said 'OK Andre, I will do my best to make sure he goes a nice, even pace'. 'I thought with two furlongs to run Andre had won the race! You don't often see that, he's run a huge race to be third. 'I did say to William that if he'd sat four lengths off the pacemaker he'd have won by 10 lengths but there we go. 'What happened was the Japanese jockey was with Rab (Havlin on Birr Castle) but then he kept taking back and let Rab slip the field. Past the two marker, he was still six lengths in front. 'William said when he let him (Ombudsman) go, he absolutely flew and went from second gear to fifth gear in the blink of an eye.' Ombudsman had finished a neck behind Delacroix in the Eclipse last time out, but Gosden felt that race was perhaps not run to suit. He said: 'The Eclipse was a muddling race and we'll leave it at that. Full marks to Delacroix, but in an evenly-run race we were the superior horse today. 'This is a great win but I did think for a moment Andre would be the lucky man.' The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day Ombudsman was claiming the second Group One victory of his eight-race career to date, with Gosden's sights already set on more top-level success. He added: 'He had a little problem as a baby and we never raced him at two and he came along gradually. He's getting better and better, has trained well and was unbeaten last year. His only defeat this year was in the muddling Eclipse and he's a proper horse. 'The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day. It will be Sheikh Mohammed's decision if he stays in training but he is a sportsman. 'William thinks he'll stay a mile and a half but I think why change things? Were he to go for the Arc, we'd need one of the rare occasions with a fast-ground Arc – which do happen occasionally.'

Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Leader Live
Ombudsman takes International crown at York
The 7-4 favourite was ridden by William Buick for John and Thady Gosden, with the fellow Godolphin-owned runner Birr Castle sent out to make the running as a rank outsider in the field of six. The latter horse was afforded an enormous lead and as he rounded the turn for home it looked quite possible that the chasing pack would not catch him, but as he tired, Ombudsman was gaining ground. He eventually swept through to grab the lead and while Delacroix also made late gains, Ombudsman emerged a three-and-a-half-length winner. Birr Castle was transferred to the Gosdens to make the running at York and John Gosden said: '(Trainer) Andre Fabre said the horse was in top form and 'I hope he does a good job for you John, I would like you to have the same result as in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood (when the pacemaker won)'! 'I said 'OK Andre, I will do my best to make sure he goes a nice, even pace'. 'I thought with two furlongs to run Andre had won the race! You don't often see that, he's run a huge race to be third. 'I did say to William that if he'd sat four lengths off the pacemaker he'd have won by 10 lengths but there we go. 'What happened was the Japanese jockey was with Rab (Havlin on Birr Castle) but then he kept taking back and let Rab slip the field. Past the two marker, he was still six lengths in front. 'William said when he let him (Ombudsman) go, he absolutely flew and went from second gear to fifth gear in the blink of an eye.' Ombudsman had finished a neck behind Delacroix in the Eclipse last time out, but Gosden felt that race was perhaps not run to suit. He said: 'The Eclipse was a muddling race and we'll leave it at that. Full marks to Delacroix, but in an evenly-run race we were the superior horse today. 'This is a great win but I did think for a moment Andre would be the lucky man.' The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day Ombudsman was claiming the second Group One victory of his eight-race career to date, with Gosden's sights already set on more top-level success. He added: 'He had a little problem as a baby and we never raced him at two and he came along gradually. He's getting better and better, has trained well and was unbeaten last year. His only defeat this year was in the muddling Eclipse and he's a proper horse. 'The two obvious races for him are the Irish Champion and Ascot for Champions Day. It will be Sheikh Mohammed's decision if he stays in training but he is a sportsman. 'William thinks he'll stay a mile and a half but I think why change things? Were he to go for the Arc, we'd need one of the rare occasions with a fast-ground Arc – which do happen occasionally.'