Last week saw the summer jumping campaign receive a blow as the BHA cancelled the remaining hunter chase programme in an effort to contain the equine flu outbreak. Happily, the action continued on the flat, with Group-class entertainment on offer from both sides of the Irish Sea.
Karl Burke stole the show on British shores with a big race double at Haydock’s Temple Stakes meeting on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, on the Emerald Isle, Irish Guineas Weekend once again turned into the Aidan O’Brien show. However, while the Ballydoyle maestro proved impossible to stop in the headline events, there was a minor shock in the Tattersalls Gold Cup as Ed Walker’s Almaqam broke his Group 1 duck at the third time of asking.
Sun Shines for Burke in Haydock Raid
Always one of the biggest days of the year at Haydock, the 2026 edition of Temple Stakes Day was probably a little more eventful than the track management would have hoped. With a hole discovered on the round course after the first race, three races were abandoned entirely, leaving only three further races to be held on the straight track. Thankfully for Yorkshire handler Karl Burke, the two feature sprint contests were included among the events which did take place.
Travelling to Merseyside with the favourites for both the Sandy Lane Stakes and Temple Stakes, Burke likely had high hopes of returning home with at least one Group prize under his belt. In the end, both market leaders delivered in fine style.
The filly Venetian Sun was the first to step into the spotlight in the Sandy Lane Stakes. This daughter of Starman enjoyed a spectacular 2025, headlined by a Group 1 success in the Prix Morny. Making her return in the 1,000 Guineas, she produced a tame effort when fading to finish eleventh. Did the mile trip prove her undoing? Or had she not trained on from two to three?
Any doubts as to whether Venetian Sun retained her ability were put to bed in a sizzling 1 min 13 sec in the Haydock heat. Looming large at the furlong pole, the mount of Clifford Lee cruised clear to post an effortless three-length success. Now set to tackle the season’s biggest sprint events, Venetian Sun is the clear favourite for the Commonwealth Cup at a general 2/1.
A little over 30 minutes after Venetian Sun entered the winners’ enclosure, Night Raider started as the favourite for Karl Burke in the Temple Stakes. Arriving fresh from a trailblazing victory in the Palace House Stakes, most were expecting a similar front-running display here. However, that plan went out of the window when the five-year-old missed the break. A diversion from his usual running style wasn’t enough to stop Night Raider, with the gelding reeling in American Affair to score by a length. In showing another string to his bow, Night Raider looks a force to be reckoned with in the major sprint events to come. The King Charles III Stakes is the next obvious target – a race for which he can be backed at a best price of 10/1.
O’Brien Dominates Curragh Classics
Thankfully, there were no ground issues to interrupt proceedings at the two-day Irish Guineas Festival, which ran like clockwork. Always a man to fear at this fixture, Aidan O’Brien picked up six wins over the two days, including the two feature races.
The Irish 2,000 Guineas looked like a penalty kick for O’Brien’s 4/11 market leader, Gstaad. While only second to Bow Echo in the English version of the race, there was an eight-length gap back to Distant Storm in third place that day. With no Bow Echo to worry about this time, the Starspangledbanner colt was the one they all had to beat.
Those who took the short odds had few moments of concern. While not quickening instantly when asked by Ryan Moore, the race was all over once Gstaad found his giant stride inside the final furlong. Distant Storm closed the gap from Newmarket, but not enough to lay a glove on the impressive three-length winner.
Sunday saw attention switch to the fillies’ event, with Newmarket heroine, True Love, starting as the 4/6 favourite for the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Having deserted True Love in favour of Precise at Newmarket, Ryan Moore understandably switched his allegiance back to True Love for this assignment. Unfortunately for Moore, Precise improved significantly to rediscover her scintillating best.
True Love mastered Abashiri on the far rail to hit the front inside the final furlong and briefly looked set for a Guineas double. However, a glance to the near side revealed Precise finishing like an express train under Wayne Lordan. Finding a gear the others couldn’t match, the 2025 Fillies’ Mile winner flew past True Love to score by a widening margin of two and a half lengths.
A rematch with Bow Echo in the St James’s Palace Stakes may be next for Gstaad, while Precise is now vying for Epsom Oaks favouritism.
Third Time Lucky for Almaqam
Almaqam announced himself as a potential disruptor to the middle-distance division with a decisive success in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1) May 24. Read more: https://t.co/WwMRIRaM4E via @RacingPost
— BloodHorse (@BloodHorse) May 24, 2026
While the meeting as a whole went well for O’Brien, he was denied a Group 1 clean sweep when Minnie Hauk finished only fifth in the Tattersalls Gold Cup. With the three-time Group 1 winner failing to land a blow, it was left to a British raider to claim his first success at the highest level.
Long held in the highest regard by his trainer, Ed Walker, Almaqam boasted some notable scalps on his CV, including that of Ombudsman in the 2025 Brigadier Gerard Stakes. However, he had not yet managed to claim a Group 1 contest. Only sixth behind Rosallion in the 2024 edition of the St James’s Palace Stakes, he then finished a respectable but ultimately well-beaten third behind Calandagan in the 2025 Qipco Champion Stakes. However, this was to be his day. Well positioned in a steadily run race, he quickened smartly off the front to post an authoritative two-length triumph.
Looking bigger and stronger as a five-year-old, expect to see Almaqam tackling the season’s top middle-distance events, including the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and Coral-Eclipse.
