Al Qareem aiming to tower over Goliath rivals at Mussleburgh

A new race, a new location, but connections are hoping it will be the same Al Qareem who arrives at Musselburgh on Saturday to kick-start his 2026 campaign in the Virgin Bet Goliath Cup Stakes.

Karl Burke’s consistent seven-year-old was victorious in this race’s previous guise of Nottingham’s Further Flight Stakes 12 months ago and his team are keen to get an early Listed strike on the board, in a season where duties in the middle-distance to staying events may have to be shared about within the Spigot Lodge team.

“This race was obviously moved from Nottingham where he made a winning start last year, but we think Musselburgh will actually suit him more than Nottingham,” said Nick Bradley, managing director for owners Nick Bradley Racing.

“It doesn’t look the greatest of races, but there is brilliant prize-money on offer and we’re hoping to get the show on the road again with a win.

“From here, I would expect him to go to the Ormonde Stakes at Chester. We were thinking about going to Newbury for the John Porter, but Karl has Convergent who I think will head there.

“Convergent being in the same sort of category might mean they need to be kept separate and it could be a case of taking similar races in turns rather than taking each other on.”

Al Qareem is 7lb clear of nearest rival Mount Atlas on official ratings, with Andrew Balding’s five-year-old having the assistance of Oisin Murphy.

Roaring Legend has been knocking on the door on the all-weather for Olly Murphy and now drops back in distance, returning to turf for the first time since finishing a close-up third over this trip in the Mallard at Doncaster last September.

However, one of the most interesting runners in the race could be Jim Boyle’s Melrose runner-up Many Men who after being denied by only a nose at York would end his three-year-old campaign with a fine run to finish fourth in the Listed Noel Murless Stakes at Ascot.

“He had a very good campaign last year and we are hoping he can pick up where he left off,” said Boyle.

“He will have to step up and continue his improvement now running in better races, but we are hoping, as a four-year-old, he can do that.

“The fact that we started him in a Listed race would indicate where our sights are heading, so we very much hoping he can make up to that sort of horse.”

Ralph Beckett’s Prix Panacee second Lady Vivian and James Owen’s Kate O’Riley complete the line-up.