The 29-year-old jockey will finally get to ride the Lope De Vega colt after missing out on a potential link-up when he was suspended for the four-year-old’s Brigadier Gerard Stakes success at Sandown in May.
That form has been franked by the length-and-three-quarter second Ombudsman, who has subsequently landed the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot and narrowly went down by a neck in the Eclipse.
🥊 Almaqam vs Ombudsman!
Classy performance from Almaqam to land the G3 Brigadier Gerard Stakes @edwalkerracing | @oismurphy | @Sandownpark | @StarSports_Bet pic.twitter.com/4IZPZgd8xq
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 29, 2025
Almaqam is the odds-on market leader for the Group Two contest and Shoemark is thrilled to have the opportunity on a horse he describes as the “real deal”.
“I’m really looking forward to riding him and I thought he was really good the last time we saw him at Sandown,” he said.
“I know it’s been a little while since we’ve seen him, but that has solely been down to the drying ground and it looks like he should get some easier conditions on Saturday and it’s great to get the ride on him.
“He looks very exciting and we all know the form of Ombudsman has stacked up well, so he looks the real deal this year.
“I got the call to ride Almaqam in the Prix d’Ispahan, but there were a few complications as I received a suspension for my ride on Luther in the French 2000 Guineas.
“Ed was umming and ahhing over whether to run Almaqam in that and when Sosie was declared he decided not to and headed to Sandown, where I was suspended so I couldn’t ride and Oisin (Murphy) picked up the ride. He’s not available this time as he’s riding in the King George so things have worked out and it’s good to finally be united with him and hope things go well on Saturday.
“He’s the best horse at Ed’s and I’ve been riding a lot for Ed and riding winners and when you build up that association, you always want to be riding the better horses in the yard.
“I had a breeze on him the other morning and he felt great. He’s extremely uncomplicated and you can see that in his way of racing and he looks very straightforward and it’s really exciting.”
Bay City Roller hopes to make a breakthrough as a three-year-old after two runner-up finishes in the Heron Stakes at Sandown and Prix Eugene Adam at Saint-Cloud this season.
George Scott is excited by the New Bay colt, who capped an unbeaten juvenile campaign with victory in the Champagne Stakes on St Leger day, and admitted his training ultimately forced his hand to move forward at the Knavesmire.
“I feel like he deserves to run in this race and I have been conscious to not run him with firm in the going description,” the Eve Lodge Stables trainer said.
“But I now feel like if we don’t take our chance on good ground, then we could end up not running all summer.
“He really has had an amazing preparation for this race and there really will be no excuses for him.
“We will give him some leeway as it is his first time against older horses and only second start at a mile and a quarter. You would expect he has got another 18 months running in these races against these types of horses and I’m sure he’s bound to acclimatise as he gets older and stronger.
“But in terms of how you want a horse to train, he’s been training perfectly and has given me no negative signs, so we’re looking forward to it.
“It will be fascinating to see him up against the horses representing the English and Irish Derby form and see where he lies amongst the Classic generation.
“Obviously then as well there is this wonderful older horse in Almaqam at the head of the market, who is arguably one of the best older horses in Europe, so we’re cautiously optimistic and it’s going to be really interesting.”
Stanhope Gardens, fifth in the English Derby, lines up for Ralph Beckett, while Jessica Harrington has decided to head to York instead of the King George at Ascot with Green Impact, who was sixth in both the 2000 Guineas and Irish Derby.
The Jack Channon-trained Certain Lad has course and distance credentials, Royal Champion goes for Karl Burke and Richard Fahey’s Ecureuil Secret completes the seven-runner field.
