Ed Walker favouring Arc challenge for Almaqam

Ed Walker is leaning towards letting Almaqam take his chance in the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, given how well he has come out of his run in the Prix Foy.

The Lope De Vega colt finished third behind the Japanese-trained Byzantine Dream in the traditional Arc trial, but Walker feels there is a genuine reason for thinking he is a good bit better than he showed there.

While that was his first try over a mile and a half, a distance at which Walker has been keen to run the four-year-old, the ground was drying all the time and Almaqam’s connections remain convinced he is a different horse on genuinely soft ground.

Having beaten Ombudsman by almost two lengths in May, should he get his preferred conditions he could prove a force to be reckoned with.

“It was quicker than ideal at Longchamp as it dried up – I’m pretty sure we’ll head there (to the Arc),” said Walker.

“We’ll see, if the ground is soft we’ll probably head to the Arc as he’s come out of it really well and he’s in great nick.

“He just hit a flat spot on that ground and I guarantee you that when it is softer, you will see a 10lb better horse.”