Twelve months ago, Kieran Shoemark was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as he lost the ride on Field Of Gold in the Irish 2000 Guineas and ended his association with John and Thady Gosden.

Since then, Shoemark has proven his mental resilience and riding ability time and time again, featuring a profitable association with trainer Ed Walker, and on Sunday, the pair combined to win the Tattersalls Gold Cup with Almaqam (13/2).

The Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum-owned five-year-old was one of three British raiders in the field, with his half-brother Saddadd representing the same owner and Roger Varian. Competition for the lead was strong at first, with Shoemark eventually settling the five-year-old entire in second on his seasonal return.

The son of Lope De Vega asserted before the two-furlong marker and stayed on strongly to win the extended 10-furlong contest by two lengths. The George Scott-trained Bay City Roller claimed runner-up honours, while Saddadd took third.

Last year’s top-class three-year-old filly Minnie Hauk, who made a winning return in the Mooresbridge Stakes three weeks ago, was sent off 4/6 favourite but failed to fire, fading into fifth, beaten nine lengths.

Faith repaid

On what Sunday’s Group 1 win meant to him, Shoemark said: “Massive, really. We always had a lot of belief in this horse. I only got introduced to him halfway through last year when I rode him in York (finished second Group 2 York Stakes).

“He’s got a monster rating of 122 and, ultimately, he’s only a Group 3 winner, so I believe he deserves to win a Group 1 and we’re just thrilled and relieved that he’s managed to do it today.

“In the past, he’s always needed his first run. To win in the manner he did today, against that competition – it was a huge effort, and he showed a wicked turn of foot. We believe there’s a bit more to come and clearly, he’s improving with age. He’s a really exciting horse for the remainder of the season.”

Shoemark was recording his fifth Group 1 win, as was Ed Walker, with the pair notching three of the five together.

On their partnership, Shoemark commented: “I owe him a lot – he picked me up when I was going through a tough patch this time last year.

“I’ve worked closely with Ed now for the past year and it’s all coming together. He’s got a great team back there at Kingsdown Stables and we’re all striving in the same direction. It’s wonderful to repay him.”

Relief

Walker, meanwhile, commented: “He’s a horse that needs waking up and engaging; he’s so laidback. I thought Kieran gave him a peach and fair play to the horse, he dug deep on his first run for a long time. He fended off George Scott’s horse (Bay City Roller), who ran very well).

“It’s just great. It’s a sigh of relief, really, with this horse because I’ve been banging on about him for long enough now. People are probably bored of hearing me talk so highlight and not producing, but it’s great that he’s finally done it.

“Hopefully this is his year. It’s a seriously tough division; it’s not going to be easy, wherever we go, but he’s bagged a big one now and hopefully there’ll be more to come.”

Paddy Power reacted by slashing Almaqam’s price for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot, going from 20/1 to 7/1.