Latest news with #Stakes
RTÉ News
10 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Almaqam 'the best I've ever had'
Ed Walker is preparing to take the wraps off Almaqam in Saturday's Sky Bet York Stakes. The four-year-old has been limited to just two starts so far this year, finishing third in the Gordon Richards Stakes on his initial outing before securing a first Group Three success when beating Ombudsman in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown in May. While Ombudsman has since gone to win the Prince of Wales's Stakes and finish a narrow second in the Eclipse, Almaqam has not run subsequently due to his need for a little ease in the ground – but conditions could be right on the Knavesmire this weekend. Walker said: "I left him in the King George but didn't feel Ascot was the right track in which to test him over a mile and a half for the first time against the Ballydoyle horses. "At York the ground should be ideal, as well as the track and the trip. It's the natural progression into a Group Two and if he wins well, I will throw him into the deep end and take him back there for the Juddmonte. "I thought 5-4 was quite a punchy price and it mirrors his reputation being bigger than what he's actually achieved in beating Ombudsman." Walker has high expectations for the son of Lope De Vega, who has won three of his eight career starts and counts a Listed triumph on his CV, as well as a couple of Group race places. The trainer said: "I've always thought the world of him as he's seriously exciting. My hopes and expectations make the nerves kick in as I think he's very special, and personally I will be very disappointed if he doesn't win a Group One as he's got everything you want in a racehorse. "I've tried to be responsible and not to get impatient, and hopefully his big time will be in the autumn as the Irish Champion is a perfect target after which we might look at the Arc. But 10 furlongs is where we are going for now. "He's certainly the best I've ever had so far, he's different gear."
The Herald Scotland
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
‘Different gear' Almaqam primed for York return
While Ombudsman has since gone to win the Prince of Wales's Stakes and finish a narrow second in the Eclipse, Almaqam has not run subsequently due to his need for a little ease in the ground – but conditions could be right on the Knavesmire this weekend. Walker said: 'I left him in the King George but didn't feel Ascot was the right track in which to test him over a mile and a half for the first time against the Ballydoyle horses. 'At York the ground should be ideal, as well as the track and the trip. It's the natural progression into a Group Two and if he wins well, I will throw him into the deep end and take him back there for the Juddmonte. 'I thought 5-4 was quite a punchy price and it mirrors his reputation being bigger than what he's actually achieved in beating Ombudsman.' Walker has high expectations for the son of Lope De Vega, who has won three of his eight career starts and counts a Listed triumph on his CV, as well as a couple of Group race places. The trainer said: 'I've always thought the world of him as he's seriously exciting. My hopes and expectations make the nerves kick in as I think he's very special, and personally I will be very disappointed if he doesn't win a Group One as he's got everything you want in a racehorse. 'I've tried to be responsible and not to get impatient, and hopefully his big time will be in the autumn as the Irish Champion is a perfect target after which we might look at the Arc. But 10 furlongs is where we are going for now. 'He's certainly the best I've ever had so far, he's different gear.'
Courier-Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
End of an era for Godolphin in Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. A few tears might be shed when an era ends after Saturday's Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield. The race will feature the last runners prepared from Godolphin's Crown Lodge operation at Flemington and trainer James Cummings' last Stakes runners for the operation. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum-owned Godolphin operation opted to cease employing a private trainer when James Cummings decided to quit the role to take up a Hong Kong training contract. Godolphin will disperse its team into stables including the Ciaron Maher, Ben, Will and JD Hayes and Chris Waller camps, along with the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable, which has prepared horses for Godolphin for some years. Godolphin's Flemington operation has saddled the winners of 101 stakes races, including 19 at Group 1 level. Cox Plate winner Anamoe, dual Australian Cup winner Cascadian and the 2025 All-Star Mile winner Tom Kitten are among the top level winners to spend their time in Melbourne at the 'blue army's' Flemington base. Anamoe provided James Cummings with three of his 19 Group 1 wins for Godolphin's Melbourne stable. Picture: Getty Images. Godolphin's Melbourne representative Nacim Dilmi said the stable will have three runners in its bid for a third Bletchingly Stakes after winning the feature sprint with Viridine in 2020 and Ingratiating in 2023. 'It's going to be a sad day for us as they will be our last runners,' Dilmi said. 'We'll run Inhibitions, Kin and Kallos and we're hoping they can end things with a great result.' Both Inhibitions and Kallos will have their second-up runs in the Bletchingly Stakes while Kin campaigned in Queensland before finishing fifth in the Sir John Monash Stakes at her last outing. 'Inhibitions ran well first-up and she has done well since but, without seeing the weather forecast, she'd like some juice in the track,' Dilmi said. 'Kin likes racing at Caulfield and did a good job in the Monash, she won't be far away. 'I thought Kallos ran all right first-up but he'll be a lot better for the first-up run and can run a better race.' Dilmi said the Flemington team's numbers had dwindled to 10 in recent weeks as horses were transferred to other stables. However, he said the staff had been busy preparing Crown Lodge for its next tenant. 'We're cleaning up the stables and packing up all the gear, keeping the staff busy,' Dilmi said. 'We started quite a while ago, every time the horses departed, so there's not too much to do at the end. 'Chris Waller is taking over Carbine Lodge so we want to give him the stable in the best condition.' Dilmi said Cummings would head to Melbourne on Thursday for a celebratory drink with staff before the final acts of his Victorian stable on Saturday. 'It will be a good send-off. There's a lot to celebrate,' Dilmi said. 'It will be quite emotional next Saturday, for sure. 'The horses will come back to Flemington after the race and we'll look at them and see how they pull up but on Monday or Tuesday, they'll be going.' Originally published as Godolphin trainer James Cummings to have last Melbourne runners in Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield
Leader Live
3 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Rage Of Bamby is 33-1 winner of Hackwood Stakes
The winner of a Listed affair at Newmarket in October, Eve Johnson Houghton's charge was well adrift of her best in her first two starts of this season, but was back to something like when not beaten far when sixth in a Group Three at York last weekend. Despite that she looked to have it to do in a strong renewal at the same level, but was in the firing line from the off as she raced slightly away from the others on the near side of the pack, and while Regional and the gambled-on King's Gamble looked like they would battle it out, Charlie Bishop had lots of horse underneath him and swept past to score by a length and three-quarters over King's Gamble. Johnson Houghton said: 'We always had faith she would win a Group race, but that faith has been tested somewhat this year. 'She ran really well at York last time when possibly I had left her a bit short. I know it was a bit quick to run her back and it looked a Group One in all but name – I wasn't expecting her to win, (but) I did think she would run a big race. On her day she is really good.' For the winning syndicate Hot To Trot Racing it was a 100th winner since their formation, with members now able to dream of bigger days later in the season before the five-year-old bows out at the conclusion of the campaign. Racing manager Sam Hoskins added: 'We've been going since 2012 and it's our 100th winner so to do it in a Group Three is really, really special. We have 80 members in the syndicate and it is just brilliant. 'Eve has always thought so much of her and it was quite a big decision for us to enter her in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. 'But when she finished out the back of the television at York in the (1895) Duke of York (Stakes) it was really disappointing and she ran the same at Haydock the next time and she was almost borderline retirement. Because we lease the filly, it was a big decision for the breeder to keep her in training this year and we were feeling rather low. 'She has nothing to lose now as she will go off to stud at the end of the year, so she could maybe head to Haydock for the Sprint Cup or something, we've got to have a go. 'We'll enjoy today first and we're over the moon, it shows you have to always have a go, but I don't think we saw this coming.'
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Rage Of Bamby is 33-1 winner of Hackwood Stakes
The winner of a Listed affair at Newmarket in October, Eve Johnson Houghton's charge was well adrift of her best in her first two starts of this season, but was back to something like when not beaten far when sixth in a Group Three at York last weekend. Despite that she looked to have it to do in a strong renewal at the same level, but was in the firing line from the off as she raced slightly away from the others on the near side of the pack, and while Regional and the gambled-on King's Gamble looked like they would battle it out, Charlie Bishop had lots of horse underneath him and swept past to score by a length and three-quarters over King's Gamble. Johnson Houghton said: 'We always had faith she would win a Group race, but that faith has been tested somewhat this year. 'She ran really well at York last time when possibly I had left her a bit short. I know it was a bit quick to run her back and it looked a Group One in all but name – I wasn't expecting her to win, (but) I did think she would run a big race. On her day she is really good.' For the winning syndicate Hot To Trot Racing it was a 100th winner since their formation, with members now able to dream of bigger days later in the season before the five-year-old bows out at the conclusion of the campaign. Racing manager Sam Hoskins added: 'We've been going since 2012 and it's our 100th winner so to do it in a Group Three is really, really special. We have 80 members in the syndicate and it is just brilliant. 'Eve has always thought so much of her and it was quite a big decision for us to enter her in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. 'But when she finished out the back of the television at York in the (1895) Duke of York (Stakes) it was really disappointing and she ran the same at Haydock the next time and she was almost borderline retirement. Because we lease the filly, it was a big decision for the breeder to keep her in training this year and we were feeling rather low. 'She has nothing to lose now as she will go off to stud at the end of the year, so she could maybe head to Haydock for the Sprint Cup or something, we've got to have a go. 'We'll enjoy today first and we're over the moon, it shows you have to always have a go, but I don't think we saw this coming.'
