Walker decides to set Almaqam for the St James’s Palace

Ed Walker is optimistic about Almaqam’s prospects as the season transitions into autumn.

After a standout win in the Heron Stakes at Sandown, connections decided to aim for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. The Lope De Vega colt encountered a difficult start but made a commendable late surge to finish sixth, just over five lengths behind Rosallion.

In his subsequent race, Almaqam competed in a highly competitive Prix Guillaume d’Ornano, where he finished a respectable third behind Economics and Jayarebe. This was his first attempt at 10 furlongs, a distance he is expected to continue racing at.

Reflecting on Almaqam’s performance at Deauville, Walker said, “The winner and Jayarebe are both very talented horses, and I believe we have a good horse as well.  The conditions didn’t play to our advantage. We were at the back, and Almaqam didn’t handle the bend very well, similar to his performance at Ascot. The ground was quite chewed up on the rail at Deauville, which may have affected him. Soft ground will be beneficial for him, as evidenced by his impressive win at Sandown.”