English/Ire
Brigadier Gerard success for Arc possible Almaqam
The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe could be on the cards for Ed Walker’s Almaqam, who ran out an eye-catching winner of the 1m2f Group 3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown on Thursday evening.
The lightly-raced four-year-old has been performing well in Group company since breaking through for a comfortable three-and-three-quarter length success in the Listed Heron Stakes at this meeting twelve months ago, placing third behind Economics in the Group 3 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville before a head second in the Group 2 Prix Dollar at Longchamp.
Returning after a 202-day break, the son of Lope De Vega appeared to need the run before the Group 3 Gordon Richard Stakes in late April, run over the same course and distance as the Brigadier Gerard, finishing a commendable third despite being hampered in the closing stages.
He faced strong opposition in the Brigadier Gerard from the unbeaten Godolphin colt Ombudsman but Almaqam proved best in a driving finish under Oisin Murphy, winning by three-quarters of a length.
Ed Walker said: "Thank God. He has got a great attitude. Last year we had him in a lip chain in the preliminaries, but this year we took it off and he is just asleep and he is so laid back.
"I think that is what got him beat last time as he was still on his winter holiday. He flopped out of the gates and he flopped round and didn't really help Tom (Marquand) out.
"He had definitely sharpened up at home for that run. I was worried about the ground as I saw the soft ground horses coming out this morning and I thought what do they know that I don't. The good-to-firm in there made me nervous, but I walked the track and it is good ground.
"When the Gosden horse loomed up I thought we are cooked here, but he was really tough and he stays well.
"It was a big day for him, and my team, and myself as we have all believed a lot in this horse. We skipped a couple of Group Ones at the weekend to come here and get the job done and thank God he did."
Cut for the Prince Of Wales's Stakes at Ascot, the colt could steer away from the Royal Meeting.
He added: "Ryan (Moore) said last year at Longchamp he would definitely get a mile and a half and I told him about his pedigree and he said maybe not, but Oisin said exactly the same that he would stay a mile and half.
"We have stuck him in the Arc and I've never hidden how much I think about this horse. I think ground is absolutely key and it will be hard to know exactly what to do with him through the summer, but I think good ground is as quick as he wants to be.
"We will keep an eye on it (Royal Ascot). I always thought the Champion Stakes would be for him rather than the Arc, but I stuck him in that for a reason as Ryan said about a mile and a half and now Oisin has said about that."
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