Latest news with #AlQareem
Powys County Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
New Beverley race seen as a good fit for Al Qareem
Al Qareem is on track to fly the flag for Yorkshire in the inaugural running of the Charlie Wood Stakes at Beverley on Saturday. Trained by Middleham's Karl Burke and owned by the locally-based Nick Bradley Racing, the six-year-old is a fitting competitor in the mile-and-a-half Listed event which was previously run as the Fred Archer Stakes at Newmarket and now named after his Hull-born contemporary, the 1887 champion jockey Wood. 'I think he will run and I see a couple of them in the race have been declared elsewhere and I think it is a very winnable option for him,' said Nick Bradley. 'It's a new race with £28,000 to the winner, it's a Listed race and even with a penalty he's clear of everything else in the race. Beverley is a front-runner's track and will suit him so I don't see too much wrong with the race.' Al Qareem has been in top form this season, winning at Nottingham in the Further Flight Stakes in April before finishing an honourable second to Aidan O'Brien's Gold Cup runner-up Illinois at Chester. He followed that up with a destructive display at York when handing Willie Mullins' Absurde a four-and-a-half length beating in the Listed Grand Cup, and a return to the Knavesmire for the John Smith's Silver Cup is available as an option if connections make a late defection from Beverley. 'The alternative is York the following race and he'll run in one of the two, but I think I'm favouring Beverley.' continued Bradley. 'He did well last time and Clifford (Lee, jockey) gave him a brilliant ride that day, he got the second horse (Absurde) keen and we got lucky that a few behind didn't really show up. 'I thought it was a career best but I'm not sure the horse is particularly getting really better, we're just managing him better and placing him better. We know him more now.'
The Herald Scotland
14-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Consistent Al Qareem bags another big prize
It was those two who did battle from a long way out as the Listed event reached a crucial stage, but Al Qareem is not a horse to shy away from a battle and he put his head down to pull clear and prevail by four and a half lengths. 'He's so honest, he's a very sound horse and he just does it every time you ask him to,' said Burke. 'When the favourite came looming up I had a smile on my face, the commentator was saying the favourite was coming after him but you know he's going to fight for it. 'I think he'll be handicapped out of the Ebor, but the Irish St Leger and the Curragh Cup, especially the Irish St Leger, could be very interesting. 'It's on a lovely, big, galloping track (Curragh) and he stays that one-mile-six (furlongs) so well. They are the two races we'll be looking at.'
Rhyl Journal
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Illinois digs deep to return with Ormonde triumph
A Royal Ascot winner in the Queen's Vase last year, he was also second in the Grand Prix de Paris and the St Leger. He was giving weight away to some decent rivals due to a penalty picked up in France on his final outing but Ryan Moore was thankful to Sam James for coming off the rail on the pace setting Al Qareem. That allowed Illinois (6-5 favourite) to sneak up his inside and lead into the straight, but once there he thought he had done enough and Absurde and Al Qareem began to come back at him. However, Aidan O'Brien's four-year-old was kept up to his work to beat the rallying Al Qareem by a length and a quarter to ensure the Ballydoyle handler had won all four major races on the opening two days of the meeting. Paul Smith, son of co-owner Derrick, said: 'That was very pleasing, he's a lovely horse and very versatile. 'I was just talking to Aidan there and you could drop him back in trip for the Coronation Cup or you could step him up for Cup races – he'd do whatever you want for you. 'He's a big, strong animal so he will improve for the run. Ryan was very happy, he was waiting at the bend for something to take him there and they didn't, so he had to go and he was just playing around in front at the end. 'He won two Group Twos last year and carried the penalty today, so he's a proper horse.' On Moore's performance in the saddle, riding four O'Brien-trained winners in two days, Smith added: 'He's a cool customer and it's like when you see Roger Federer play tennis – it looks effortless and that is the way he rides his horses. 'He never panics and there's always more time with Ryan Moore than you think.'
South Wales Guardian
08-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Illinois digs deep to return with Ormonde triumph
A Royal Ascot winner in the Queen's Vase last year, he was also second in the Grand Prix de Paris and the St Leger. He was giving weight away to some decent rivals due to a penalty picked up in France on his final outing but Ryan Moore was thankful to Sam James for coming off the rail on the pace setting Al Qareem. That allowed Illinois (6-5 favourite) to sneak up his inside and lead into the straight, but once there he thought he had done enough and Absurde and Al Qareem began to come back at him. However, Aidan O'Brien's four-year-old was kept up to his work to beat the rallying Al Qareem by a length and a quarter to ensure the Ballydoyle handler had won all four major races on the opening two days of the meeting. Paul Smith, son of co-owner Derrick, said: 'That was very pleasing, he's a lovely horse and very versatile. 'I was just talking to Aidan there and you could drop him back in trip for the Coronation Cup or you could step him up for Cup races – he'd do whatever you want for you. 'He's a big, strong animal so he will improve for the run. Ryan was very happy, he was waiting at the bend for something to take him there and they didn't, so he had to go and he was just playing around in front at the end. 'He won two Group Twos last year and carried the penalty today, so he's a proper horse.' On Moore's performance in the saddle, riding four O'Brien-trained winners in two days, Smith added: 'He's a cool customer and it's like when you see Roger Federer play tennis – it looks effortless and that is the way he rides his horses. 'He never panics and there's always more time with Ryan Moore than you think.'
Glasgow Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Illinois digs deep to return with Ormonde triumph
A Royal Ascot winner in the Queen's Vase last year, he was also second in the Grand Prix de Paris and the St Leger. He was giving weight away to some decent rivals due to a penalty picked up in France on his final outing but Ryan Moore was thankful to Sam James for coming off the rail on the pace setting Al Qareem. That allowed Illinois (6-5 favourite) to sneak up his inside and lead into the straight, but once there he thought he had done enough and Absurde and Al Qareem began to come back at him. However, Aidan O'Brien's four-year-old was kept up to his work to beat the rallying Al Qareem by a length and a quarter to ensure the Ballydoyle handler had won all four major races on the opening two days of the meeting. Paul Smith, son of co-owner Derrick, said: 'That was very pleasing, he's a lovely horse and very versatile. 'I was just talking to Aidan there and you could drop him back in trip for the Coronation Cup or you could step him up for Cup races – he'd do whatever you want for you. 'He's a big, strong animal so he will improve for the run. Ryan was very happy, he was waiting at the bend for something to take him there and they didn't, so he had to go and he was just playing around in front at the end. 'He won two Group Twos last year and carried the penalty today, so he's a proper horse.' On Moore's performance in the saddle, riding four O'Brien-trained winners in two days, Smith added: 'He's a cool customer and it's like when you see Roger Federer play tennis – it looks effortless and that is the way he rides his horses. 'He never panics and there's always more time with Ryan Moore than you think.'
