Acklam Express booked for Goodwood

Nigel Tinkler reports that it is the Group Two King George Qatar Stakes during the Glorious Goodwood Festival next for Acklam Express following the four-year-old’s podium finish at Royal Ascot.

The Mehmas gelding was sent off at 200/1 for the King’s Stand Stakes won by Australian raider Nature Strip on the opening day of the Royal meeting, but made a mockery of those odds to come home in third, only a head behind runner-up Twilight Calls, who was the best of the British challenge on the day.

Tinkler is now targeting a return to the Sussex Downs and a track Acklam Express excelled at as a two-year-old for his next appearance, having decided against a run in this weekend’s City Walls Stakes at York.

🚀🇦🇺 Wow! What a performance from NATURE STRIP!

The Australian raider takes the King's Stand Stakes. pic.twitter.com/rZsJs0qdJQ

— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) June 14, 2022

“He’s absolutely fine, he had a little break after Ascot and is now back cantering away,” said the Malton-based trainer.

“He’ll now go straight to Goodwood for the King George. We did think about running him at York, but we’re now going to head straight to Goodwood. He holds the track record for two-year-olds there so we think that should be the place we should go.

“He was a massive price the other day, but he ran really well and we’re looking forward to having another throw at the dartboard. I don’t think it was a fluke because he has placed in Group races in Dubai before.”