Overview
- Almeraq won the Qatar Racing British Champions Sprint at Ascot to record his third Group 1 success of the 2026 season.
- The victory completes a remarkable comeback after a heavy fall at York in late 2025 that contributed to jockey Jim Crowley’s retirement.
- Trainer William Haggas said the performance under Tom Marquand confirms Almeraq’s elite credentials and argued the colt’s only 2026 defeat in the July Cup was caused by an unfavourable low draw.
- Racing Post analysis warned Almeraq still sits below historic sprint greats on official ratings and suggested the overall weakness of the current sprinting crop may limit how highly he can be rated.
- The result produced a one-two for Haggas’s Somerville Lodge, raised Almeraq’s value as a prospective stallion and is likely to trigger formal discussions about his future in training while notable rivals such as Great Wish ran with William Buick aboard.