Almaqam wins the Brigadier Gerard

Tattersalls Gold Cup preview: Almaqam ready to return

Horse Racing

Wed May 20, 2026 · 4h ago

Ed Walker is hoping stable star Almaqam can make his Group One breakthrough in Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.

After a frustrating 2025, the five-year-old is in line to face Minnie Hauk in her own backyard at the weekend as connections hope for a clear shot at the big races this time around.

“It’s definitely the plan. He’s been in great shape and has a really good spring. He just frustratingly scoped dirty, a few of ours did in April-time and we just missed our prep race which was going to be the Gordon Richards or the Ganay. The Ganay would have been too quick ground anyway," the trainer told Wednesday's Nick Luck Daily Podcast.

“It was a shame not to get that run into him at Sandown but he’s been training really well, looks great and I think he’s straighter than I had him for his first run last year when he definitely needed it in the Gordon Richards.

“But he’s a big horse and will probably improve for a run but he’s as fit as we can have him and has been away for a few gallops and looks great. I’m finally looking forward to seeing back on the track."

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And Walker admits there's a sense of trying to make up for lost time with Almaqam.

“In many ways become he’s become a bit disappointing, dare I say it. He’s actually the highest-rated horse I’ve ever trained and his form is exceptional but it really dawned on me in Dubai when Fort George took on Rebel’s Romance who was rated 121, a pound lower than Almaqam, and he was the winner of $12million and nine Group or Grade Ones.

“Almaqam hasn’t won a Group Two yet. We’ve just been a bit unlucky. Last year was really fiddly with the ground, we didn’t have any rain all summer. He’s a big, big horse and we were trying to keep him ready to go but kept missing targets because of the ground and he also had a grumbling sinus infection which we never thought caused him an issue, but it was just a bit fiddly.

"So I’m hoping to have a clearer shot at it this year, a bit more luck with conditions and he’s a very, very good horse. Let’s hope it’s his year this year.”

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