‘That Was Impressive Stuff’: Marquand A Passenger On Sprint Cup Hero Almeraq

[Wandering Eyes]

Bouncing back from a forgettable effort in the July Cup, Shadwell's Almeraq (Dark Angel) turned Haydock's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup into a procession with soft ground to suit on Saturday.

Always travelling with supreme ease as Tom Marquand had the anchor down throughout the early stages, the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes hero cut through the pack with minimal urging and brushed aside Paborus (Recoletos) approaching the furlong pole. From there, it was only a case of how far as the 9-4 favourite opened up and at the death it was 4 1/4 lengths without telling the whole story, with Paborus in turn 4 3/4 lengths ahead of last year's winner Big Mojo (Mohaather) in third.

“That was pretty impressive stuff,” Marquand said of the William Haggas-trained four-year-old, whose fall at York last year ended the career of Jim Crowley. “The ground let him down at Newmarket and he's a hugely exciting horse. The plan was to ride him conservatively and he stepped up so easily, he was straight up into the race on that ground.”

The trainer was looking on at Ascot. “He looked very good,” he said. “I thought it the ground would make a big difference and he clearly looked to enjoy it. He travelled easily and he's a good horse. Now he's got his conditions and its onwards to Ascot.”

Almeraq is a brilliant winner of the £400,000 Group 1 @BetfairRacing Sprint Cup! @haydockraces pic.twitter.com/zcQrWmdlu9

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 5, 2026

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