Haggas daring to dream of Arc glory with Maltese Cross
IMPROVING PERFORMER: Maltese Cross powers to victory at York in the hands of Tom Marquand. Picture: Healy Racing
Sea The Stars may have been trained by John Oxx, but few have benefited more from his legacy than William Haggas, who now hopes Maltese Cross can follow in the footsteps of his sire in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
It is a race Haggas came close to winning with another of the 2009 Arc winner’s progeny Sea Of Class in 2018 and while memories of that day remain bittersweet for the Somerville Lodge handler, he is optimistic his improving Grand Prix de Paris hero can go close.
Haggas said: “I don’t think he has the turn of speed Sea Of Class had, she was a brilliant filly and she was the best chance we had ever had. Shaamit hadn’t really thrived since winning the Derby, but this horse is going the right way physically like she was, she improved a lot.
“Everyone wants to win the Arc and hopefully we can give it a shot. To be in there with a chance is fantastic and anyone who has a runner in the Arc will be thrilled to be in there participating. Hopefully it will be us.”
Victory for Maltese Cross would be a real family affair given the Derby runner-up, who has won five of his seven career starts and impressed at York last month, was purchased by the trainer’s son Sam Haggas for 350,000 guineas as a yearling to run in the colours of enthusiastic owner George Waud.
The Hollywood film producer — who worked alongside Samuel L Jackson on the blockbuster — has been an engrossed observer of his star colt’s rise to stardom and it is now Haggas’ role to provide a fairytale finish in Paris.
Haggas continued: “It’s great for Maureen [wife] and I that Sam is involved and it was nothing to do with us that George is involved, it’s all down to Sam. We got lucky to get Maltese Cross, we loved him as a yearling and were thrilled to bits George bought him and sent him to us.
“He was always such a good mover and a nice horse and George has really taken to it. I’m not one to announce we could have a Derby horse but I did say with a bit more experience we could prepare him for a Derby, which made George excited, so we resisted running in a stakes race at the end of last season.
“He came back in the spring and we had two races before the Derby and the rest is history. George has really enjoyed the journey and will continue to do so.
“To say he is looking forward to the Arc is an understatement. He’s chairman of Old Gold Racing and has given 100 all-expenses paid tickets away to members in a lottery and he’s going to have lots of friends and guests with him.
“He’s got a box for the day and good on him. He is really enjoying it and obviously it is our job to take it seriously and do the best for him and the horse, but his job is to enjoy it and let us do the worrying and hopefully it will turn out OK.”
To secure Arc glory, Maltese Glory may have to see off defending champion Daryz, another all-conquering son of Sea The Stars, who is the only horse ahead of the Newmarket raider in the ante-post betting.
However, it is no surprise to Haggas who holds the sire in the most lofty esteem and, as well as his own Arc runner-up Sea Of Class, produced arguably the handler’s finest former pupil, the six-time Group 1-winning Baaeed.
Haggas continued: “In my opinion Sea The Stars was the best horse I’ve seen and I don’t say that lightly. He was unfortunate to come just before Frankel and Frankel was a story, it was as much about Henry [Cecil] as it was the horse.
“He was an outstanding horse and the one similar trait that Maltese Cross does have is that he never wins by very far, and Sea The Stars never won by very far.
“For me Sea The Stars is the greatest and we’ve really tried to buy his progeny since he went to stud. Without him my career would definitely have been less successful.”
