Back Almaqam to show star potential in the Gordon Richards
YOU know that the Flat season is starting to kick into gear when Friday’s Gordon Richards Stakes card rolls around.
A Group Two and a pair of Group Threes headline a cracking day’s racing, and while many racing fans will be focused on the tantalising Jumps Trainers’ title fight between Willie Mullins and Dan Skelton, the action on the level is definitely worth looking at.
The Gordon Richards Stakes (2.25pm) immediately catches my eye as the exciting ALMAQAM makes his seasonal debut.
Ed Walker’s colt progressed nicely as a three-year-old last year, winning on his first outing at Yarmouth before backing it up in successful style at Sandown in the Listed Heron Stakes in May.
He wasn’t disgraced when not beaten far by crack miler Rosallion at Royal Ascot on ground that was likely too fast for him, and his subsequent third behind future Irish Champion Stakes hero Economics at Deauville was respectable.
His second to the talented Jayarebe on his final outing on Arc weekend further suggested he was set for a big 2025, and Ed Walker has not tried to hide his admiration for this son of Lope De Vega.
The Lambourn-based handler has said that he has never been as excited about a horse as he is about Almaqam, and that he has May Group One targets in mind.
If his talented trainer holds him in that esteem, he should be ready to win on Friday against a field of rivals that looks like a much of a muchness.
Royal Rhyme and Arabian Crown should be respected, but they haven’t got the scope for stardom like Almaqam, and the 7/2 about him is well worth taking.
POINTERS FRIDAY
Almaqam 2.25pm Sandown