Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum

Ed Walker has long sung the praises of Almaqam (Lope De Vega) and although the elusive Group 1 win took its time coming, it all fell into place for the stable star on Sunday as he bossed The Curragh's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Making his seasonal return in the 10 1/2-furlong prize, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's homebred who had last been seen finishing third in the Champion Stakes in October was moved up to shadow the Ballydoyle pacemaker with Kieran Shoemark confident in his readiness. Taking command approaching the two-furlong...

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's G1 St Leger runner-up Rahiebb (Frankel) justified his entry in, and booked his ticket to, next month's G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot with a belated first black-type victory in Friday's 14-furlong G2 Boodles Yorkshire Cup on the Knavesmire. "That was lovely to watch, it was very smooth and he's a lovely horse," said Roger Varian. "He had a long year and was learning on the job all season really. He made his debut at Newcastle in February and finished up in the St Leger. He...

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Roger Varian trainee Saddadd (Pinatubo), who hit the board in September's Listed Foundation Stakes at Goodwood when last seen, found the necessary gears to claim a career high in Friday's G3 bet365 Gordon Richards Stakes at Sandown. "He's an absolute darling of a horse and has the most delightful attitude," claimed trainer Roger Varian. "He won here like a really good horse last September and I think he was just over the top in a very strong Listed at Goodwood. I liked the way he put...

That's the ticket. Some black-type action on the Rowley Mile and the scent of Classics on the wind.  It's pleasing to report that there were plenty of happy breeders at the racecourse on Wednesday, perhaps none more so than Graham Smith-Bernal and Craig Bennett of Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud respectively, who were clearly delighted at the impressive return of the paint-splodged Damysus (Frankel) in the G3 Earl of Sefton Stakes. A return to Group 1 company for Wathnan Racing's colt is plainly on the radar now. Julian...

He may not have had the hardest task on debut, but Wareeth (Sea The Stars) could hardly have made a bigger impression with a 14-length success at Newcastle on Saturday. Sent off the 5-4 second favourite for the mile novice on the Tapeta, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 510,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase was denied a match with Godolphin's Starglow (Space Blues) who was pulled up early on and travelled ominously well behind his only serious rival Showcasing Star (Showcasing). Looming two out, the son of the G3 Prix d'Aumale...

The word was out about the William Haggas newcomer Bayaann (Too Darn Hot) at Lingfield on Thursday and the half-brother to I Can Fly (Fastnet Rock) duly delivered with a display full of promise. Sent off the well-backed 5-4 favourite for the seven-furlong maiden on the Polytrack, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 410,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase took a while to find his stride but as soon as they had straightened for home had begun to loom. Giving generously for Rossa Ryan to overwhelm his peers in the last half a furlong,...

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Waardah (Postponed), a G1 Yorkshire Oaks entry, notched a black-type breakthrough at Goodwood in June and revisited the Sussex Downs venue to claim a career high with a battling victory in Saturday's 14-furlong G2 Qatar Lillie Langtry Stakes. "Callum [Rodriguez] said Waardah switched off great and, in hindsight, he probably got there a little bit too soon," explained Owen Burrows. "She is inexperienced, but very honest, and we are still learning about her. When the runner-up came to her, I thought she was going to get...

Having promised to make his presence felt in the better middle-distance contests for a while, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Almaqam delivered on Thursday evening in Sandown's G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes. Taken to the front early by Oisin Murphy, the 7-4 second favourite predictably faced his sternest challenge from the 5-4 market-leader Ombudsman inside the last two furlongs but stayed on strongly to end that rival's unbeaten sequence by 1 3/4 lengths. This win came at the track at which the apple of Ed Walker's eye had wowed 12 months ago...

Middleham trainer Ed Bethell on a career-best season in 2024, plans for stable star Regional and some exciting new recruits to the team at Thorngill Stables Everywhere from Doncaster to Dubai, Ed Bethell is preparing to unleash a handful of his stable stars in the next fortnight, fresh from a "tremendous" 2024 which saw the Middleham trainer scale new heights in his fourth full season as the licence holder at Thorngill Stables. "I couldn't have asked for it to go any better," Bethell says of the latest campaign, which yielded...

Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Sallaal (Ire) (Frankel {GB}--Nahrain {GB}, by Selkirk), a Roger Varian-trained half-brother to this year's G1 1000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and multiple Group 1-winning globetrotter Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), went postward as the 11-4 second favourite for Tuesday's British Stallion Studs EBF Novice Stakes at Great Yarmouth and registered a half-length debut victory in the seven-furlong contest. 2nd-Great Yarmouth, £9,950, Nov, 10-15, 2yo, 7f 3yT, 1:28.12, sf. SALLAAL (IRE) (c, 2, Frankel {GB}--Nahrain {GB} {G1SW-Fr, GISW-US, SW-Eng & GSP-Ire, $1,041,961}, by Selkirk) recovered from...

Maintaining his unbeaten record in straightforward fashion, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Quddwah (GB) (Kingman {GB}--Sajjhaa {GB}, by King's Best) registered a career-best on Saturday in Ascot's G2 Anne Cowley Memorial Summer Mile. Held back from the Royal meeting with an abnormal blood count having won the Listed Paradise Stakes in May, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained homebred travelled sweetly tracking the leaders on this return. Committed by Callum Shepherd passing two out, the 5-4 favourite had a comfortable half-length margin to spare over Ancient Rome (War Front) at the line....

Wednesday saw the draw made for Friday's two group 1 contests at Royal Ascot, with the 10 fillies set to contest the Coronation S. headed by Ballydoyle's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer (Justify) and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Opera Singer, who was returning from a setback when third in the Irish 1,000 Guineas, has drawn an outside stall in nine for the mile feature while the Roger Varian-trained Newmarket Classic heroine is in seven. James Doyle takes over from Silvestre De...