Ed Walker: ‘We Know How Tough It Is So We’re Under No Illusions’

[Wandering Eyes]

Few trainers have been in better form of late than Ed Walker, who already has nine stakes winners to his name this season. Prior to a busy week at Royal Ascot, the Lambourn trainer has another shot at Classic glory in Sunday's G1 Prix de Diane with American Gal. The Kameko filly, who races for the Drew Family's Mildmay Racing, won the Listed Prix de Lilas over a mile at Chantilly back in early May.

“This has been the plan since then, so I just hope the ground doesn't dry out too much, which it could do,” says Walker, for whom France has been a happy hunting ground. 

Three of his four Group 1 victories to date have come in the country, with Makarova (Acclamation) having won last year's Prix de l'Abbaye, while Dreamloper (Lope De Vega) won both the Prix du Moulin and the Prix d'Ispahan in 2022. This season the success has continued. In addition to American Gal, Mgheera (Zoustar) won the G3 Prix de Saint-Georges and Troia (Kingman), a homebred for Walker's old boss Luca Cumani, took last weekend's Listed Prix Volterra.

Walker says of American Gal's cross-Channel ventures, “After she was third at Kempton, we thought it would be a good idea to go to France. She had never run on turf before, but her victory in the Prix des Lilas came against fillies who have since confirmed their form — Eponine and Relaxx were second and fourth in the Prix de Sandringham, while Cankoura won the Prix Finlande.”

He warned of the ground, however, “We'll be keeping a close eye on conditions and may have a tough decision to make.”

 

American Girl after winning at Chantilly | Scoop Dyga

 

Walker is taking a number of his stable's residents on the shorter journey along the M4 from his Kingsdown stable to Ascot and, despite plenty of them bearing recent winning form, he is keeping his feet on the ground as he seeks a fourth win at the prestigious meeting. 

“With Royal Ascot, I have learned the hard way not to get too excited,” he says. “It's great to have a bit of a team going there, and it would be wonderful to come away with a winner. We know how tough it is, though, so we're under no illusions, and it's likely ground's going to play its part.”

The hot and dry forecast for next week means that Almaqam (Lope De Vega), recent winner of the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes, has not stood his ground for Wednesday's G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes. 

“He's a very exciting horse, but I think we've just got to mind him a bit,” Walker said of Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's four-year-old, who could be seen next back at Sandown in the Eclipse.

Walker could however run Red Sand for the same owner in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes and says, ” We think he could be really effective.”

Almaqam is a member of the second group of yearlings assigned to Walker by Sheikh Ahmed, a major owner-breeder to have been attracted to his burgeoning stable, but the trainer has also been thrilled to have been able to reward some of his longest-standing clients with black-type wins in recent weeks. In particular they include Laurence Bellman, owner of Listed Achilles Stakes winner Balmoral Lady (Invincible Army), and David Ward, whose Scenic (Lope De Vega) battled home to take the G3 Bronte Cup Fillies' Stakes at York that same afternoon. Ward is also the owner-breeder of the winner of Walker's fourth Group 1, Starman (Dutch Art), currently the leading first-season sire of 2025.

“It wasn't lost on me at all,” Walker says. “They have been a massive part of helping us get to where we are now. Laurence has been with us since the beginning, and then David not long after that. They bounced around various yards in Newmarket with me and followed us and supported us down to Lambourn, and Laurence has had some wonderful horses, in the early days especially, that really helped get me going. David's obviously had some very smart horses over the last few years as well.”

Of Balmoral Lady, who has an entry for Tuesday's G1 King Charles III Stakes, Walker adds, “She wouldn't want it too quick. I imagine day one is going to be probably the best ground, in terms of being closest to good. I'd like to think we'll declare her and take a look at the track. She doesn't need soft ground, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to run her on very fast ground.”

It is a race in which he could be doubly represented, with Mgheera also entered. “She has been a real stroke of luck, to end up here for us, and she's obviously had a perfect start to the season,” he says of the five-year-old, who joined his stable from Manon Scandella-Lacaille after being bought by Lord Lloyd Webber and Arthur Mitchell of Australia's Yarraman Park Stud. The eventual plan is for the daughter of top Aussie sprinter Zoustar to head to the southern hemisphere, where she will be covered by the Lloyd Webbers' Too Darn Hot. Mgheera recently added the G2 Temple Stakes to her win in Paris on French Guineas weekend. 

“She's going to have to step forward again. I think William [Buick] was quite impressed with her, and she's an exciting sprinter in a pretty open division,” he continues. “She'll definitely go [to Australia] by the end of the year, but there's a couple of nice Group 1s between now and then.”

Ward's five-year-old Rose Prick (No Nay Never) heads to the Kensington Palace Stakes. Walker says of the Listed-placed mare, “We just feel that she's on a good mark, and I think that it could be a good opportunity to have a good shot at it.”

Do Or Do Not, from the first crop of Space Blues, represents owner Simon Sadler of TBT Racing and has options in the G2 Coventry or Listed Windsor Castle Stakes after recently finishing runner-up to Archie Watson's Tadej at York. 

“He made a huge step forward from Newbury to York, and then just found one of Archie's too good,” Walker says. “He was still green and babyish but he's an exciting horse. He's a very straightforward, speedy two-year-old type, so I think he could run well. He's going to have to take another big step forward to feature, but ours do tend to improve quite a bit with racing.”

He adds, “Simon's had an amazing start since buying Ten Bob Tony to dip his toe in. He's invested quite heavily, and he's got quite a lot of exciting horses in training now.

“Mister Rizz is also going to run at Ascot. We pitched him in at York in the Dante and it didn't work, but we believe he's quite a bit better than he showed there. We're either going to go to the Hampton Court or the Golden Gates Handicap.”

Walker also noted that TBT Racing's Listed winner Qilin Queen (Pinatubo), who finished eighth in the Oaks, will now have a mid-season break after three runs in close succession. Meanwhile, the same owner's Noble Champion (Lope De Vega) could run in either the Britannia or the G3 Jersey Stakes. 

“He has been probably the disappointment of the season, really, so far,” the trainer says candidly. “I have huge hopes and belief in this horse, but it hasn't quite gone to plan. We still maintain belief that he's a very talented horse.”

English Oak (Wootton Bassett), one of four winners at last year's Royal Ascot for Wathnan Racing, will attempt to defend his title at the Buckingham Palace Stakes, while the Cayton Park Stud homebred Sir Lowry's Pass (Siyouni) could head to the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes. “He found it a bit quick in the Zetland Gold Cup, so I imagine this will go against him, but we'll keep it on the radar,” Walker cautions of the latter.

Completing the line-up, both Saariselka (Earthlight) and Never Let Go (No Nay Never), who was recently third in the Listed Height Of Fashion Stakes for Rockliffe Stud, have Friday's Sandringham Stakes as their Ascot target.  

“Saariselka has been second twice and is a filly who we like and we think this race will really suit her. Similarly, the stiff mile should really suit Never Let Go, so she should be competitive in that, I hope. It is also a possibility for Woroodd (Dark Angel), though I fear the ground may go against her.”

 

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