Walker praying for rain for Almaqam’s Champion Stakes assignment

It is a familiar feeling for Ed Walker as he looks to the skies and prays for rain ahead of Almaqam’s intended outing in the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes next month.

Attempting to better last year’s third in Ascot’s 10-furlong showpiece has long been on the agenda for the Tattersalls Gold Cup winner who went so close to supplementing that Curragh Group One in a titanic finish to the Juddmonte International Stakes at York last month.

Walker is open to keeping one eye on the Breeders’ Cup Turf later in the autumn, but is hopeful conditions will fall in his star colt’s favour on British Champions Day.

“At the moment it feels like if he retires it will rain for five years and it’s just brutal,” said Walker.

“We had the option of the Arc but it was never really going to be his race and the Champion Stakes is like his Derby. We just need a bit of luck and he deserves a bit of luck.

“We’ll have to weigh it up and we have the Breeders’ Cup Turf as a plan B but we will run him at Ascot on good, it would have to be good to firm not to run. We just know he can win it on good to soft – he could even win it on good, but a bit of dig in the ground would see him hard to beat.”

Another of Walker’s aces, Ten Bob Tony, will also be in action on October 17 when the Queen Anne winner returns to the scene of his Royal Ascot heroics for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes having finished second in the Prix du Moulin last time.

Walker continued: “He’s A1 for the QEII touch wood and conditions wouldn’t overly bother him. I would probably question a mile on really heavy ground but he’ll run there regardless.

“He’s fresh as paint and Ascot couldn’t come soon enough. It’s amazing how well he is taking his races this year and he’s in great form. He’s been a legend this year.”