Ed Walker can once again dare to dream big with Almaqam, who emphasised why he is held in such high regard after landing a deserved 'big day' in the Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park on Thursday evening.

After securing an impressive victory on the corresponding card last year in the Listed Heron Stakes the son of Lope De Vega failed to find range in three subsequent appearances at group race level.

That losing sequence was extended to four on his comeback over course and distance when finishing third in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes at the end of last month.

However, there were to be no long faces from connections on this occasion with the Sheikh Ahmad Al Maktoum-colt delivering a top-class performance from the front in the 10-furlong Group 3 test.

Although the unbeaten Ombudsman, making his first start since scoring at the same level in France 263 days ago, loomed up as a big threat the 7/4 second-favourite was not for passing with Oisin Murphy driving his mount out to score by a length and three quarters.

Walker said: “Thank God. He has got a great attitude. Last year we had him in a lip chain in the preliminaries, but this year we took it off and he is just asleep and he is so laid back.

“I think that is what got him beat last time as he was still on his winter holiday. He flopped out of the gates and he flopped round and didn’t really help Tom (Marquand) out.

“He had definitely sharpened up at home for that run. I was worried about the ground as I saw the soft ground horses coming out this morning and I thought what do they know that I don’t. The good-to-firm in there made me nervous, but I walked the track and it is good ground.

“When the Gosden horse loomed up I thought we are cooked here, but he was really tough and he stays well.

“It was a big day for him, and my team, and myself as we have all believed a lot in this horse. We skipped a couple of Group 1s at the weekend to come here and get the job done and thank God he did.”

Although Almaqam was trimmed into 8/1 from 14/1 for the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot next month the Lambourn handler was looking forward to tackling bigger targets later in the campaign with his new stable star.

He added: “Ryan (Moore) said last year at Longchamp he would definitely get a mile and a half and I told him about his pedigree and he said maybe not, but Oisin said exactly the same that he would stay a mile and half.

“We have stuck him in the Arc and I’ve never hidden how much I think about this horse. I think ground is absolutely key and it will be hard to know exactly what to do with him through the summer, but I think good ground is as quick as he wants to be.

“We will keep an eye on it (Royal Ascot). I always thought the Champion Stakes would be for him rather than the Arc, but I stuck him in that for a reason as Ryan said about a mile and a half and now Oisin has said about that.”

Oisin Murphy said: “He gave me a really nice feel today. Ed’s comments were that he is very relaxed and easy to ride. I loved his temperament.

“He has run to a high level – Ombudsman is a fair benchmark. I didn’t discuss it with Ed but I had a good think about it when Bolster and Ancient Wisdom came out of the race, I thought I might be able to lead and I was able to sort of dictate without slowing down too much.

“Ed is right – there is loads of juice in the ground today and that is probably key as he is a big horse with big feet.

“He has a bright future provided he continues to get his conditions. I think that was a decent renewal of the Brigadier Gerard. Obviously it’s a very famous race and the second was unbeaten. We were both clear of the field and I think they are two smart horses.”

Godolphin double

Out of luck with Ombudsman, owners Godolphin had two big winners on the night courtesy of Trawlerman and Opera Ballo.

Trawlerman was described by connections as a 'generous horse' by connections after securing the prize catch with a front-running success in the Star Sports Henry II Stakes.

After finishing second in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot 12 months ago behind the recently retired Kyprios, the John and Thady Gosden-trained seven-year-old will return to the Royal meeting in a bid to go one better on the back of a victory after taking top spot in the Group 3.

With only four runners going to post for the two-mile test jockey William Buick elected to keep things simple aboard the 4/5 favourite by sending his mount straight to the front before turning the race into a late dash to the post.

And Buick got his tactics spot on aboard the evergreen son of Golden Horn who was not for passing with the two-time champion jockey pushing his mount out to score by five lengths from Coltrane to give the father-and-son team their second winner on the night.

Thady Gosden said: “It was a small field and the plan was to go to the front with him and just let him find a rhythm, which William did well, and he picked up nicely in the straight.

“Last year he had a longer break after Dubai, but we thought this year a prep run would suit him well. He is not having an overly hard blow there. That puts him in good order and hopefully he comes out of it well.

“It (the hood) certainly helps him as he is such a giving, generous horse that he almost wants to give too much. The hood just settles him down and lets him find a rhythm which he has done today.

“He is a grand old boy now and hopefully he can win a big one at some point.”

And that big one connections will now hope comes in the Gold Cup, which Trawlerman is now a 5/1 chance for.

He added: “He has had a bit of a break since Dubai and that should hopefully put him spot on for a couple of weeks’ time if all goes well.

“It was sad and unfortunate news for the Coolmore and Ballydoyle team (that Kyprios was retired) as no one likes to see a horse injured at the start of the flat season, but it changes the dynamic of the staying division this year.

“He wears his heart on the sleeve every time. He is almost part of the furniture now."

Opera Ballo benefited from a first-time hood when running out a clear winner of the Listed Heron Stakes. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Opera Ballo impressed in two all-weather wins at the start of the year but could only finish sixth in the Craven Stakes after pulling too hard.

Opera Ballo quickly skipped clear once sent on to defeat last year’s Champagne Stakes hero Bay City Roller, who he was receiving 5lb from, by two and a half lengths and complete a double on the card for rider William Buick.

Alex Merriam, assistant trainer, said: “I think so (that the hood helped). Will said once he got the cover he settled much better than at Newmarket the last day, although he was a bit keen early doors, but he has got it done.

“He is very much a work in progress as you can see. He has had the hood on at home since he was a bit keen at Newmarket the last day and it has helped anyway.

“You would be a brave man to take that off having seen how he was early so we will stick with it. Will said he is a work in progress.”

Although Opera Ballo holds an entry in next month’s St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and appearance in the Group 1 prize is far from set in stone according to connections.

Merriam added: “I’m not sure what Charlie has got planned. He is in the St James’s Palace Stakes, but he is a work in progress so we will see.

“He appreciated that bit of juice in the ground I think. We will let Charlie come up with a plan.

“He is in that (St James’s Palace Stakes), but I wouldn’t say it is definite.”

Buick said: “What made it harder today is that we were just kept out of it a little bit down the back. He breaks so quick and we were adamant today that we wanted to teach him something and to come back and learn a little bit about him ourselves. So, in end it worked out – once I got him in behind around the turn, he raced a bit more amenable.

“He is a good horse. He is a work in progress still. The engine is there and we just need to fine tune him a little bit. He will keep progressing and getting better. He has taken that step in his stride. After allowing for how he raced in the Craven, he didn’t run a bad race. The ability is there and he is only going to get better.

“For the time being I would keep him at a mile. I do think he’d stay a mile and a quarter but he is quite exuberant and not a slow horse as you saw there. A mile is probably where his immediate future lies.”

Big winner for Rod Millman

Anthelia continued to bely her bargain buy status when flooring the boys to maintain her unbeaten record in the Star Sports National Stakes.

Arriving on the back of wins at Bath and Salisbury to her name, the daughter of Supremacy showed terrific courage when squeezing up the inside rail to pocket the Listed prize.

Picked up for just 6,000 guineas as a yearling the Middleham Park Racing-owned filly was sent off a relatively unfancied 25/1 chance to extend her winning run in the five-furlong dash.

Although kindly drawn in stall three the Rod Millman-trained filly looked to have a tough ask with the run closest to the rail looking a dead end.

However, after making the most of a narrow gap Anthelia burst through under Lewis Edmunds to defeat last time out York scorer First Legion by a length.

Millman said: “We were lucky to get her. We were going to buy one for about fifty thousand guineas and this was one we picked out, but she wasn’t really worth fifty thousand guineas I thought so we bought something else.

“She was walking around the ring and there were no bids on her so I got her for six thousand guineas.

“We didn’t want to get involved in a duel for the front as we wanted her to finish off. The main thing today was to try and get some blacktype and as it turned out she was better than we thought she was.

“She would still be learning the game. When she won at Bath she came from the back still being green then it was a four-runner race next time. "This was the first time she had been roughed up in a race and it is very exciting for the future.

“We haven’t had one finish at the top of our gallops like her for a very long time.”

However, a trip to Royal Ascot appears off the agenda for the time being with connections keen to step her up in trip for a tilt at the Listed Maureen Brittain Memorial Empress Fillies’ Stakes at Newmarket on June 26th.

Millman added: “We will probably not go to Royal Ascot. The aim was to miss Royal Ascot and go for the Empress Stakes, but she has won.

“It is very tough taking on the best at Royal Ascot and you don’t often have a horse afterwards.

“The Super Sprint is her main aim, but she is a bit better than that and that puts value on her now.

“She wants six furlongs and that is why she didn’t go to the Marygate as five was a bit sharp for her there. I think she will go to the Empress then see where she goes.”

Lewis Edmunds said: “Obviously, she was two from two. People pick form apart quite a lot - going into today she couldn’t have done more than what she had done but judging by the betting a lot of people had written her off.

“She gave me a hell of a feel at Bath and then they probably didn’t go quite as quick at Salisbury in a small field. She is still green and was still a bit green today. Rod and James just said ride her to run well and go from there – take your time and don’t get into a battle up the front.

“They have not actually gone as quick as we thought they would either. I think a lot of people probably thought there was a bit of speed on today and I thought we just went a sensible gallop. She came off it quite early but was strong at the finish.

“I was told to try and not get involved too soon, so I was looking to the horses I was following and thought the horses on my inside were just going that bit better. I didn’t think I’d have got out for a run if I switched to the middle, so I have had to switch in which wasn’t the plan. I was watching Hollie and she was always just sort of on the fence and off the fence. She then picked her stick back and just drifted off (the rail) and I was going well enough that I was there to take advantage – if I wasn’t going as well, I probably wouldn’t have got through.”

Improving handicapper

Wicked took the required step forward to open his account at the fourth time of asking when swooping late in the Starsports.Bet Handicap.

Having chased home the promising Bedouin Prince on his last start at Newmarket the John and Thady Gosden-trained Kingman colt duly went one better in the opening mile contest.

Buried in the middle of the field for much of the race the 9/2 chance, who cost 600,000 guineas as a yearling, only played his hand late on under James Doyle.

Victory looked to be heading the way of either Lunar Orbit or Rockin’ The Boat with that pair pressing on from early leader Imperial Trooper inside the final two furlongs.

However, neither could match the finishing kick of the Wathnan Racing-owned colt who came with a power-packed late run before going on to score by a length.

Thady Gosden, joint-trainer, said: “He ran well at Newmarket last time when he was beaten by a good horse in Bedouin Prince.

“This was his first time in handicap company today and the stiff mile suited him well and James managed to get him there late on.

“His pedigree suggests that the step up to 10 furlongs would suit him quite well and he shapes like that as well. You would think he would benefit from that as well.

“That was only his fourth start today and he is probably just getting the hang of it now, but he is a very laidback horse as you can see he is not too worried after that so hopefully he will take another step forward.

“It depends what the handicapper does with him as those races (at Royal Ascot) are not too easy to get in nowadays, but I'm sure he will get a few pounds for that and we will see where we go.

“He has an exceptional pedigree so you would like to think he is a progressive horse for the future.”

James Doyle said: “We were pleased with him. With each run he’s taken a gradual step forward - not a big leap for each run. We felt today the stiff finish would definitely help him and I think this would be his minimum trip. It wasn’t until the final furlong when the afterburners kicked in that he drew away and he won like a horse potentially on the up.

“We mustn’t forget he was running off 80 today so it will be interesting to see what the handicapper does. If he goes up enough, there will be a couple of opportunities for him at Ascot. I think the Britannia might be a bit sharp so the mile and a quarter race might be the one if he goes up enough.

“He should improve a good deal for going up in trip. I was kind of lucky that they went a good pace tonight as it dragged the stamina out of most of them and it really suited this fella.”