William Haggas

The King must by now be on pretty friendly terms with Aidan O'Brien, the trainer who has spent more time than any in his counting house. On Tuesday he handed him the trainer's prize for the five-furlong sprint named in His Majesty's honour and 48 hours later another was dished out for the longest Group 1 race run in Britain. The Gold Cup, with its 219-year history, is also one of the most cherished races of the week. In these eyes it ranks above all others, and a huge portion...

It is taking almost a crowbar to deny Joseph O'Brien at Royal Ascot this week, but luckily for Wathnan and James Doyle they had the equine equivalent as the operation's recent acquisition Earth Shot (Time Test) got up to deny the Owning Hill runner Johanna Walsh (Sea The Stars) late in a thrilling G2 Ribblesdale Stakes. Rated highly from an early point by William Haggas, the bargain 90,000gns Tattersalls October Book 2 purchase who is a half-sister to Wednesday's Prince of Wales's pacemaker Devil's Advocate had been sold by Childwickbury...

The birdsong is briefly interrupted as a pair of colts gallop by. Nothing too strong now, for the major work is done. Maltese Cross and Tenability breeze on up Newmarket's Al Bahathri, giving rise to some contented muttering from the father-and-son team watching on. Sam Haggas was only three years old and was "left at home" the day that Shaamit won the Derby for his parents William and Maureen 30 years ago. He plays a different role these days, as the buyer of his father's fifth Derby runner and racing...

Described by trainer William Haggas last week as being "eminently more sensible than me", owner-breeder James Wigan is nonetheless allowing himself to dream of bigger and bigger things with star filly Lilt (Lope De Vega), the impressive winner of Friday's Listed Sky Bet Fillies' Stakes at York. "I was really pleased with her," added Haggas on Friday, watching on from afar at Newbury. "I'm really thrilled for James, he puts such a lot in. I've put her in the Coronation, so I suspect we've got nothing to lose by having...

Having shown freakish ability on debut at Newcastle in December, Extremely Zain (Hello Youmzain) didn't need to overly extend himself on Friday to become a TDN Rising Star, Presented by Hagyard. Sent off the 8-11 favourite for Newbury's seven-furlong novice, Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum's relative of Lush Lashes (Galileo) was under hard restraint from Cieren Fallon and was openly resentful of that. Allowed to use his considerable stride in time to take control of the contest inside the final furlong, he was pushed out to score by a neck...

Friday's Listed Michael Seely Memorial Fillies' Stakes at York was a Coronation Stakes trial in all but name and there was a clear-cut winner in James Wigan's Lilt (Lope De Vega) with Royal Ascot looming. Coming into the deep mile contest off a Doncaster maiden in October, the 13-2 shot was delivered with a telling surge by Tom Marquand to overwhelm Cheveley Park Stud's upwardly-mobile So Regal (Kingman) and score by 1 1/2 lengths. There was another two lengths back to Nurlan Bizakov's unbeaten Botagoz (Mehmas) in third. "She was a...

Shadwell's Elmonjed (Blue Point) bounced back off an unplaced effort at Newmarket's Craven meet and completed an afternoon double for William Haggas with a career high in Wednesday's G2 Go Local Stores Minster Stakes, formerly known as the Duke Of York Stakes, at York. "He really loves this track and I think the draw helped today," commented Haggas. "He's a really tough horse, he's gone from handicaps and won the Listed in September. We kept him in training to win this race as we thought we may as well have...

Britain will have at least one key player in the Derby after TDN Rising Star Maltese Cross (Sea The Stars) battled to prevail in Saturday's Listed Lingfield Derby Trial for the William Haggas stable. After a thrilling tussle with fellow Brit Bay Of Brilliance (New Bay) in the extended 11-furlong prep, George Waud's flagbearer who took a key Newbury Derby pointer last month edged that Ralph Beckett-trained colt by a neck as they pulled 6 1/2 lengths clear of Balzac (Japan) in third. "He did well at Newbury, but I must...

Where to begin? Perhaps to say that, though this sport faces myriad challenges, the mere thrill of actually going racing is the perfect antidote to such pernicious worries.  And it wasn't just the blazing sunshine and searing performance of Bow Echo on the Rowley Mile that has renewed the faith. A week earlier a trip to Ripon - justifiably dubbed 'The Garden Racecourse' - on a similarly sunny Saturday bit for a more ordinary race day provided no less enjoyable an experience.  It is easy to become despondent with what...

Signs at Newmarket on Friday were that the William Haggas stable is taking off and the best of his trio that came home first on the card could turn out to be the Listed King Charles II Stakes winner Saber Strike (Night Of Thunder). Seen only once at two when successful at Redcar in November, Victorious Forever's 230,000gns Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase was delivered from last by Tom Marquand to surge by Cerro Blanco (Wootton Bassett) a furlong out and take the seven-furlong contest by 1 1/4 lengths from...

Darley EBF Fillies' Maiden winner Earth Shot had been second to her stable-mate My Ophelia (Sea The Stars) on her sole start prior to Friday but she took a major step forward on livelier ground at Newmarket to keep the Oaks dream alive for owners Paul and Sally Flatt of Childwickbury Stud. Owner-breeders in their own right, the Flatts bought the daughter of Time Test from Anthony Oppenheimer, whose Classic-breeding credentials have long been proven, and now his Hascombe & Valiant Studs could again be represented at the highest level...

3.00 Wetherby, Novice, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT SEA THE STORM (FR) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) makes her debut for the William Haggas stable, having been with David Menuisier when second in the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin in October. A half-sister to Adlerflug's G2 German 2000 Guineas-winning sire Mythico, she is joined by the stable's newcomer Pierian (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}), Lord Rothschild's daughter of the Irish Oaks heroine Great Heavens (Galileo).