William Haggas

As Royal Ascot drew to a close on Saturday, one of its luminaries of yesteryear, Superstar Leo (Ire) (College Chapel {GB}), died peacefully in America at the age of 26. The winner of the Norfolk Stakes in 2000, she was an outstanding two-year-old for William Haggas, initially racing for her breeders, the trainer's father-in-law Lester Piggott and Tony Hirschfield, before being bought by Roy and Gretchen Jackson of Lael Stable. Having already won twice prior to Ascot, she then went on to win the Weatherbys Super Sprint and G2 Flying...

   Sunday's black-type action is spread across Europe, with Goodwood's Listed Weatherbys/British EBF Agnes Keyser Fillies' S. one of the lesser of its kind in terms of status but possibly the most interesting of all given that it acts as the platform for the second act of TDN Rising Star Sea Just In Time (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Sunderland Holdings' homebred impressed on debut at Newmarket's Guineas Festival and holds an entry in the G1 Irish Oaks. "She's taking a while to come to herself and still looks a...

The six-length G2 Dante S. winner Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) will not be supplemented for the Betfred Derby a week on Saturday with trainer William Haggas fearing the Classic test will come too soon.  The long-striding chestnut colt, owned by Isa Salman Al Khalifa, ran just once at two last November and returned in late April to win a Newbury maiden before heading to York on May 16.  Economics had been taken out of the Derby entries before the Dante but had been listed as second-favourite for Epsom...

York's G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante S. played host to one who put some pyrotechnics into the current season on Thursday, but there was a twist in the tail at the end of the Derby's premier trial as the impressive Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--La Pomme D'Amour {GB}, by Peintre Celebre) will not be at Epsom on the first Saturday in June. Off the mark over a mile at Newbury last month, Isa Salman Al Khalifa's 160,000gns Tattersalls Book 2 purchase had been removed from the Blue Riband...

Newmarket's Darley Maiden Fillies' S. played host to the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of subsequent G3 Musidora S. third Infinite Cosmos (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) last term and this year's renewal produced another display of note as William Haggas trainee Sea Just In Time (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}--My Timing {GB}, by Street Cry {Ire}) powered to a 4 3/4-length triumph in the straight 10-furlong test. The G2 Ribblesdale and G1 Irish Oaks entry employed a patient approach from the outset and was within range at the tail of...

William Haggas has described the Lockinge S. as "a long shot" for Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) but said the talented older horse could get his campaign underway in the Listed Paradise S. at Ascot.  The German 2,000 Guineas winner has endured his share of training problems and was only seen once last season when disappointing in the G2 Joel S. when returning from over a year's absence.  However, the five-year-old is undoubtedly classy on his day, and Haggas is holding out hope that the real Maljoom can show up on the...

A record 11 overseas-based gallopers, including Group 1 winners Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) from Great Britain and Japan's Mad Cool (Jpn) (Dark Angel {Ire}), are among the 35 total horses invited to participate in the trio of races which comprise FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin Racecourse on Apr. 28. Trained by William Haggas, the globetrotting Dubai Honour pays a third visit to Hong Kong and will look to improve on his performance from 12 months ago, where he was a low-odds third behind the re-opposing, three-peat...

While Saturday ushers in the new turf season in Britain, there are almost as many European horses nominated to run at Rosehill in Sydney that same day.  In the G1 Ranvet S., six of the seven runners were bred in either Britain, Ireland or France, and they include two seven-figure purchases made by Yulong Investments last December.  Group 1-winning mares Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was bought for 2.7 million gns at Tattersalls, and Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a €4.025 million Arqana purchase, are...

Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}), the winner of last year's G1 Ranvet S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. in Sydney, will not be returning to Australia for this year's Championships after meeting with a setback.  The six-year-old, who is trained in Newmarket by William Haggas for owner Mohamed Obaida, had been set to defend his crown this spring but will be prepared instead for Hong Kong's G1 QEII Cup, in which he finished third last year. "We are disappointed to announce that Dubai Honour has had a...

Relief Rally (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), last year's winner of the G2 Lowther S., has returned to William Haggas's stable after being sold at Tattersalls in December for 800,000gns. She was knocked down in the name of Mrs A Sullivan at the time. The filly is now registered on the British Horseracing Authority's website as being owned by Mr Yuesheng Zhang of Yulong Investments. The same owner also bought multiple Group 1 winner Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never) for 5.4 million gns at the previous year's December Mares Sale.  Relief...

William Haggas is charting a path back towards Royal Ascot with Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and nominated the G2 Hardwicke S. as the main objective for the King and Queen's colt before a possible tilt at races in Australia in the autumn. Winner of the King George V S. last term, Desert Hero went on to claim Group 3 honours in the Gordon S. at Goodwood before finishing third to Continuous (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the G1 St Leger. Haggas had suggested that an Australian campaign...

Friday's AED850,000 G2 Cape Verdi presented by DP World GCC run over 1600 metres on the grass has attracted a field of eight, with a pair of Euro raiders in Mystic Pearl (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Stenton Glider (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) signed on for trainers William Haggas and Hugo Palmer, respectively. The duo ran one-two in the Listed Coral Distaff S. last year. After her July score over Stenton Glider at Sandown, the then-3-year-old was a close third in the G3 Prix de Lieurey, just two heads behind...