William Haggas is confident Almeraq will handle whatever conditions he faces at Ascot on Saturday.
He lines up in the Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint with strong champion sprinter credentials following his victories in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at the Royal Meeting here in June and the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock last month.
He produced an explosive performance at the Newton-Le-Willows venue to beat Paborus by four-and-a-quarter lengths on soft ground.
With the current weather forecast, it's unlikely he'll encounter similar cut in the ground at Ascot.
However, the trainer said: "He obviously enjoyed that really soft ground at Haydock, or appeared to, but he did win a very good race at Ascot. If you can put a line through his run in the July Cup where he was drawn low and saw way too much daylight, and I’m not sure he enjoyed the track much, then I think his credentials are still solid whatever the ground.
"He’s really good. It doesn’t look like he’s going to get his weather to make him a 6/4 shot but I think he’s in pretty good shape.
"He’s a good horse. If you look at it after his fall at York last September, he came back in the Cathedral Stakes and did really well to win. Then he won the Sprint at Ascot.
"If he hadn’t run in the July Cup you’d be hailing him as one of the greatest we’ve seen. I don’t think he’s done bad, I think he’s a pretty good horse and the performance at Ascot on good to firm ground was really good. I know it was a bunched finish but the two he beat are pretty smart horses.”
The trainer warns he has a significant second string in the race too, though, with the three-year-old Division. He's yet to get his head in front in 2026 but Haggas feels there are valid excuses for that fact and he too brings high-class Ascot form to the table having been placed in the Commonwealth Cup.
“We were never really planning to go to Ascot with Division until we saw the forecast about a month ago and thought there’s a chance this might not be as wet as usual. He wants good, fast ground and has been left in and the intention is to run. He’s been drawn one or two all season so if he can get a draw in amongst them it will help a lot. He’s a good horse," Haggas added.
“He needs cover and has been drawn one in the July Cup, one at Ascot the other day, where you just had to be high and drawn against the stands’ rail. It’s been a mess for him this year but he’s pretty smart."
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