AOTF winners Run Away (7/1) & Almaqam (5/2)

The featured horses in Ahead On The Flat had a productive afternoon at Yarmouth on Tuesday with Run Away (7/1) and Almaqam (5/2) scoring at the East Anglian track. The former is featured in the Unraced Three Year Olds section and the Andrew Balding trained filly showed a willing attitude to land the seven furlongs fillies' maiden. A daughter of No Nay Never who cost €2,600,000 as a yearling, she is a half-sister to Group 1 winning juvenile Blackbeard and was in the firing line throughout under Oisin Murphy. Having fought off the challenge of the smooth travelling Red Pixie, she was then forced to dig deep to repel the late thrust of another debutant Cat Ninja. A neck separated the pair and she rates a nice prospect.

Almaqam gained a more comfortable success over half a hour later in the one mile maiden stakes. Ironically, his dam Talmada gained her biggest success at the same venue when taking the Listed John Musker Stakes in 2015 and the son of Lope De Vega looks to be cut from similar cloth running out a ready one and a quarter lengths victor under Saffie Osborne. Always prominent, the Ed Walker trained colt quickened up when asked for his effort and was value for more than the winning margin. Entered in the Epsom Derby and St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, he is bred to stay further and could be one for the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot. In the meantime, don't be surprised if he is steered towards something like the Listed Heron Stakes at Sandown (23rd May). 

The Maidens In Waiting section in AOTF have made an excellent start with Almaqam, Fighter Command, Sunfall and Ten Dimes all winning in recent weeks.