Gold expecting Maqaasid to prove he can stay the mile

After finishing third in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and drawn badly when eighth in the French equivalent in two previous attempts at the trip, Maqaasid will try to make it third time lucky.

“I thought she ran a fabulous race at Newmarket in the Guineas, but possibly she didn’t get home in the last 80 to 100 yards,” said Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum. “She seemed to come out of that race very well so we took her to France, but we pretty much knew our fate with that draw (14 of 16), you need to have all the luck in the world.

“It just didn’t work out and she never had a race at all. She was the one filly who did make up some ground of those drawn badly. I thought she finished off the race pretty well and John (Gosden) has been happy with her since.

“Any filly that has the speed to win a Queen Mary you doubt whether she can truly stay a mile. We don’t know that but she has settled down mentally and is a high-class filly.

“If she gets the trip I think she will go close. She’s been very consistent and has hardly run a bad race. Last year she was a bit buzzy, but now she takes things much more in her stride and she certainly gives herself a chance of staying.”

Another of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum horses, Elzaam, is to be given his chance in Group One company in the Golden Jubilee Stakes on Saturday.

The Roger Varian-trained sprinter was just touched off in the Coventry Stakes at this meeting last year before losing his way slightly but bounced back to form with a six-length Listed success at Newbury last month.

“Hopefully Elzaam will run in the Golden Jubilee. It’s a big step up and he’s one of those horses for which things sometimes haven’t gone to plan,” added Gold. “We tried him in headgear at Newmarket in the Spring but that didn’t work. He’s a happy horse and doesn’t need it.”

Acclamazing could take his chance in the Wokingham Stakes after going close at York on Saturday.

Marco Botti’s three-year-old sprinter was not helped by a low draw when dead-heating for second place, a length behind Lexi’s Hero, who raced on the stands side, in the Bond Tyres Trophy.

“I thought all the fancied horses were drawn low and it could work out quite well for him but in the end it didn’t and it wasn’t an advantage,” said Botti. “Unfortunately he hung badly to the right and I think the draw beat him.

“With all respect to the winner who did well I think we were a little bit unlucky. However, he ran another big race.

“I was tempted to give him a break but he’s in very good shape and I said to the owner we’d sit tight and see what happens towards the end of the week for the Wokingham.

“We’ve not ruled out taking our chance at Royal Ascot on Saturday.”