Dark Angel’s brilliant son Almeraq was a shade too good for reigning Champion Australian Sprinter Joliestar in the Group I Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot this year and he added a second G1 trophy to his record overnight when taking out the Haydock Sprint Cup (6f) with a commanding performance.
Almeraq is a lightly raced four year-old stallion trained by William Haggas that was involved in a race fall at York last September and had a long time off after that to recover.
He won at Royal Ascot at his second run back from that incident and then was unplaced in the Group I Newmarket July Cup before bouncing back to win again.
Ridden by Tom Marquand, Almeraq started favourite at Haydock and ran out an easy four and a quarter length winner.
A homebred for Shadwell, Almeraq has five wins and two seconds from just nine starts.
"That was pretty unbelievable," said Maureen Haggas.
"I thought what he did at Royal Ascot was pretty phenomenal on ground that he doesn't really enjoy. But now he's got conditions in his favour and Tom knows him, and that was great.
"Fast ground going downhill was never really going to be his bag in the July Cup but once you win at Ascot, what do you do? This was always going to be his goal, and then hopefully Champions Day."
Tom Marqand believes Almeraq is going from strength to strength.
Almeraq is the best of two winners from Manaajim, an unraced half-sister by Muhaarar to Group I winning sprinter Fairyland and Group winning mare Now or Later, who came to Australia winning the Group II VRC Blazer Stakes.
She is now at stud here with Yulong and produced her first foal this spring, a colt by Lucky Vega (IRE).
It’s a high class European speed family with third dam Land of Dreams a brilliant Group winning sprinter and dam of 2011 Champion Sprinter Dream Ahead, who shuttled to Australia for seven seasons.
Almeraq is another multiple G1 winner for Dark Angel, who is having a growing influence in Australia through his son Harry Angel (IRE), while his Champion Miler Charyn (IRE) is an exciting new addition for Cambridge Stud in New Zealand this spring - read more about him here.
