Irish Champion Stakes test on the cards for Almaqam
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 8 Sep 2026
Ed Walker has revealed that Juddmonte International runner-up Almaqam will likely bid to go one better in Saturday's Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
The Lambourn trainer had originally planned to wait for the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot – in which the horse was third last year – but is hoping to strike while the iron is hot with the five-year-old.
Amongst Almaqam's rivals could be his York conqueror, Item, and the third, Constitution River, but Walker is not concerned that his Tattersalls Gold Cup winner is going under the radar.
He told the Nick Luck Daily Podcast: "Almaqam has been really fresh and well. I was probably more likely to not take in the Irish Champion than to run in it straight after York, but he's come out of that race very well and is in great form.
Watch: The Verdict team look at how Item beat Almaqam in the Juddmonte International
"He's realistically got two more targets now this year; the Irish and the English Champion so I think we'll be having a shot. He definitely is really well suited with a little bit of ease in the ground. He's just had two very frustrating, dry summers which have made life very difficult for us.
"When he's got his conditions, he's very, very good, and in the Prince of Wales', he ran well below either the Curragh or York form, and on that quick ground he just struggles.
"I was quite interested when I saw a headline about the 'Juddmonte rematch' at the weekend and Almaqam didn't get a mention, which made me chuckle.
"But it doesn't matter, he's very good on his day and if he goes under the radar then that's fine by us."
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