William Haggas

Bouncing back from a forgettable effort in the July Cup, Shadwell's Almeraq (Dark Angel) turned Haydock's G1 Betfair Sprint Cup into a procession with soft ground to suit on Saturday. Always travelling with supreme ease as Tom Marquand had the anchor down throughout the early stages, the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes hero cut through the pack with minimal urging and brushed aside Paborus (Recoletos) approaching the furlong pole. From there, it was only a case of how far as the 9-4 favourite opened up and at the death it...

There was a significant buzz about the William Haggas newcomer Sharadd (Dark Angel) at Haydock on Thursday and Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's colt showed why to become a TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard. Tackling the six-furlong novice on the card which has been won in recent times by the Mill Reef winner Sakheer and this stable's classy Division and Elmonjed, the €175,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 graduate was allowed to take his time behind the leading group by Tom Marquand and saunter into contention approaching the final furlong. Soon...

Shadwell's veteran eight-time Group 3 winner Al Aasy (Sea The Stars) looked booked for the minor placings in the closing stages Sunday's G2 Lucien Barriere Grand Prix de Deauville, but found the necessary impetus to secure a first Group 2 triumph in dank conditions. "He is nine, but he still has that desire to win, even in difficult conditions like this," said William Haggas. "He showed great courage, he is a lovely horse and, when conditions suit, is capable of doing some very good things. The ground has been too...

"Racing brings me so much joy." It's what you want to hear, from an owner relatively new to the game, living the dream we all dream, with one of the most exciting three-year-old colts in training. Those were the words of George Waud, just about audible as the owner struggled to keep his emotions in check after the victory at York of Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars) in the G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes. Winner's enclosures everywhere abound with unbridled joy. Elsewhere on the track, connections of the also-rans rue their...

The only blip on an otherwise perfect 2026 for George Waud's TDN Rising Star Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars) was a runner-up finish behind Christmas Day (Camelot) in the G1 Derby and he exacted revenge on the rival with a dominant performance--under a five-pound Group 1 penalty--in Wednesday's G2 Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York. "He showed a nice turn of foot in Paris last time, he did very well today and I think that was probably a career best," said trainer William Haggas. "I thought he came there...

Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) and Constitution River (Wootton Bassett) remain on course for a titanic clash at York next week, with the top-class duo featuring among 10 confirmations for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International. John and Thady Gosden's Ombudsman was a brilliant winner on the Knavesmire 12 months ago and is favourite to go back-to-back following a successful defence of his G1 Prince Of Wales's Stakes crown at Royal Ascot. In Constitution River, however, he faces a three-year-old of the highest order, with Aidan O'Brien's colt having travelled to France to...

Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy's Lake Forest (No Nay Never) was doing his best work at the business end of last month's G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and, faced with an easier task in Tuesday's G2 HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes at Goodwood, bettered his runner-up finish in last year's renewal to secure a second win at Group 2 level. "We thought there would be lots of pace and there was not, so I thought Lake Forest ran really well," said Maureen Haggas. "He is a totally different horse...

Shapoor Mistry's Oaks heroine Thundering On (Frankel) will face 10 rivals as she bids for a Classic double in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at The Curragh. Disappointing when only fourth in the Pretty Polly last month, the Joseph O'Brien-trained homebred is joined by stablemates Johanna Walsh (Sea The Stars), the Ribblesdale runner-up who races for Wells Watson, and Rebel Moon (Lope De Vega) who defends an unbeaten record for Al Shira'aa Racing after taking the Jannah Rose Stakes. In total, the O'Briens have eight runners with Aidan saddling a quintet...

Trainer William Haggas is in no hurry to commit to another Classic bid with his St Leger favourite Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars), with a return to ParisLongchamp for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe also under consideration after the colt's last-gasp victory in the Grand Prix de Paris on Tuesday. "It was terrific to see him win," Haggas said of that battling performance. "It was an interesting race and not a comfortable watch, but it was okay in the end and he got there just in time, so I'm...

Brave when second in compromising conditions in the Derby, Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars) showed a different kind of courage on Tuesday evening to land ParisLongchamp's feature G1 Cygames Grand Prix de Paris. Further back than expected in the early stages, George Waud's pride and joy had to fight his way through the pack up the home straight but gave his all for Tom Marquand to thrust late and deny compatriot Ancient Egypt (Frankel) by a head for a TDN Rising Star one-two. There was a neck back to the...

William Haggas is excited to give Royal Ascot heroine Earth Shot (Time Test) a shot at Classic glory in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Saturday. The G2 Ribblesdale Stakes winner is one of 11 fillies in contention for the Group 1 contest following Tuesday's confirmation stage. While Haggas would have preferred to see more rain in the build-up, he is confident that the Wathnan Racing-owned runner deserves her place in the field. "Everything seems in order with her. She seems very well and I'm looking forward to...

Likely favourite Venetian Sun (Starman) will encounter 10 rivals in Saturday's G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai July Cup after declarations for Newmarket's £800,000 feature were confirmed Thursday morning. The Karl Burke-trained G1 Commonwealth Cup heroine has drawn stall nine and is reopposed by Commonwealth Cup third Division (Kingman), who will exit stall one. The latter's William Haggas stablemate Almeraq (Dark Angel) finished a nose in front of Satono Reve (Lord Kanaloa) in G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, with the duo allocated stalls four and eight in this rematch. Completing...