William Haggas Stable Tour ahead of York Ebor Festival including Sea Theme and Lake Forest

As a proud Yorkshireman winners on the Knavesmire are always that extra bit special, especially those achieved at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival given the extra levels of competitiveness.

Having enjoyed his fair share of success at the four-day meeting in seasons gone by, the Somerville Lodge handler looks well placed to add to his tally of winners at the track this August.

With a number of interesting handicap prospects mixed in with some Group-race contenders, and the odd two year-old for good measure, everything points to Haggas being welcomed back into the York winners' enclosure at some point across the meeting.

Haggas said: “I like winning anywhere, but everyone likes York and we all want to win there. For me it is home.

"I would say for most people York is the Ascot of the north, where as I say Ascot is the York of the south. That is because I’m northern, and from Yorkshire, and very proud. I do love to support the place and I think they are an example to every racecourse.

"They make a huge effort for everyone who goes there, and to have every race at this meeting with added money of £100,000 is fantastic."

Before assessing those likely to represent him at this year’s meeting, Haggas reflects fondly on two of his star performers from years gone by. He said:“I thought both Sea Of Class and Baaeed won their Group Ones in emphatic style, especially Baaeed as he was tremendous.

“You don’t win races like the Juddmonte as easily as he did unless you are very good, but she was brilliant too in the Yorkshire Oaks. That is what you want if you have a really good horse - you want to see an authoritative performance, and both did exactly that.

“Numerically, we are quite strong, but we do lack two-year-olds there this year. However, we've got some chances and I’m looking forward to getting them there in one piece.

“I think our best chance will be Elnajmm, if he runs in the Clipper Handicap. He is one of the few going there that will be going off favourite."

William Haggas Stable Tour - Sky Bet Ebor Festival

Wednesday

YAROOGH (Tattersalls Acomb Stakes)

“He has got an entry in the Acomb and he did it well last time out at Kempton. He ran over five furlongs at the Guineas meeting and was terrible. He then won at Haydock Park stepped up to seven furlongs for the first time in a race that has worked out well.

“He had to win, and win decisively at Kempton Park, to even consider stepping him up to this level, but I think it is worth a shot. He has had a bit of experience and it is worth a go.”

SPACE LEGEND (Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes)

“He is in the Great Voltigeur, but he will also be given an entry in the one mile three Listed race at Windsor on Saturday, however I’d quite like to go for the Great Voltigeur.

“He ran poorly at Newmarket last time in the Bahrain Trophy, but previous to that he ran well at Royal Ascot.

“He was sweaty, and free, at Newmarket. I’m putting it down to the fact that he ran a little bit too quickly after Ascot.

“If he comes back to his Ascot form he will run a good race as he appears in good form at home.”

MALJOOM (Juddmonte International/Sky Bet Strensall Stakes)

“Maljoom is intended for the Juddmonte, however they are forecast some rain. Depending on where you look some forecasts say very little, and others say an inch.

"If they get an inch of rain on Tuesday he won’t run as he is no good on soft ground. I’m looking forward to getting him up in trip as I think every race recently he has looked like a bit more ground and he would have gone closer.

“He was rated 113 after he was fourth in the St James’s Palace Stakes in 2022, but he is now up to 119 which is Group One material.

"I thought his run at Goodwood in the Sussex Stakes was very good. The fast ground suited him and they went a nice pace, which we weren't expecting, and he ran on well.

“We are keeping the blinkers on. They are only very small blinkers, they are little half blinkers, but they just help Tom (Marquand) really.

“He will have an entry in the Strensall Stakes as well as if it looks like being wet on the Tuesday and Wednesday and then it looks like being a dry forecast all week he will then go for the Strensall. I really want to get him up in trip though and it would be nice to run him in the Juddmonte.”

Thursday

ELNAJMM (Clipper Handicap/Sky Bet Strensall Stakes)

“He will also have an entry in the Strensall, but I think he will go for the handicap as it makes sense. He has won two handicaps this season and he is a really nice horse that I think has got more to offer.

"He threw a splint on the outside of his right fore in the spring and that was very painful for a while and that is why we were so delayed in getting him back.

"He was sore for a long time, but he is fine now and that is why he was such a late starter, but it might play into our hands for the rest of the season I hope. He has got the entry in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes as he is a horse that is on the improve.

"It is one of those situations that if you don’t put him in a race like that and he goes and wins at York and he wins a stakes race in September somewhere you go 'why didn’t we have him in the QEII', however he has got a lot to do to get there.

“I think he is quite a good horse and I don’t think we have got to the bottom of him. Hopefully if he gets a good draw here he will run well."

GODWINSON (Clipper Handicap)

“He is in the Clipper, but he will also be in at Sandown the following weekend. He is one that needs a bit of cut in the ground so if it does run at York he will go there. He is one that we are looking towards the Cambridgeshire with later on in the season.

“I ran him Newbury first time and he finished second, then I ran him back at Newbury and that day the ground was too firm. He ran over a mile and a quarter at York last time and finished fourth, but he didn’t run too badly. He was just too far out of his ground.

“He worked well on Wednesday morning and when he does get a bit of cut in the ground he will be dangerous."

SEA THEME (Pertemps Network Yorkshire Oaks)

“I’m going to have a shot at the Yorkshire Oaks as she is a four-year-old filly that is already a course and distance winner. She is very genuine, and won very well last time in a weak race.

“Bluestocking will hopefully frighten a few away, but she is entitled to have a go. I think she is a Park Hill filly then maybe one for the Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend at Longchamp.

“She gave everything in the Galtres last season and that took the wind out of her sails really. She ran very well in the Pinnacle Stakes up at Haydock Park first time out then she ran in the Lancashire Oaks on the day that everything slipped the race before.

"It was nice to get the win into her last time. She won easily that day and was staying on well in the end.

“She is not as good as Sea Of Class, and I don’t know if I will have another like her again, but she is a good filly that is solid. She is not dissimilar to Sea La Rosa, who won her Group One in the Royallieu."

SEA JUST IN TIME (British EBF & Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes)

“She has an entry in the Galtres Stakes, and I would like to go, but we will see. She has probably got a bit to find, but she is quite a useful filly, and she will love the fast ground.

“She stays well, and she won nicely at Kempton without being wildly impressive, but she had a penalty to carry so I was pleased with her.

“I think in her first start they went very fast in that maiden and they all fell in a heap so it may have flattered her a bit, but in the Listed race at Goodwood she didn’t show up at all.

"She wasn’t in great form after and she took a long time to get back. She takes her racing quite hard so I hope she will be alright for the Galtres."

NINE TENTHS/PINAFORE/SUNFALL (British EBF Fillies’ Handicap)

“Sunfall is improving and doing well. She is the right type for the race, but whether she is quite good enough I don’t know.

“Nine Tenths won a Listed race in the spring, but she hasn’t been seen for a while, however she is in good form. She had a break after All-Weather Finals Day in a race she shouldn’t have run in.

“She had top weight with a seven pound claimer on board. We tried to do the right thing, but it didn’t feel right, and she had to give a lot of weight away. She is now back in a better class handicap so she won’t be top weight and hopefully she will run a good race.

“Pinafore has run a couple of moderate races so I’m just not quite sure about her at the moment."

Friday

WAFEI (Sky Bet Handicap Stakes)

“He has an entry in the mile and a half handicap on Friday. Whether he is quite high enough to get in I’m not sure.

"I thought he was unfortunate not to win at Goodwood, but he travelled well and raced much kinder than he has done before.

“York would suit him well and he is a nice horse. He was gelded before he won at Hamilton, but he was still not focused enough, however he was much better last time out at Goodwood when he was only just beaten.”

REALIGN (British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes)

“The plan for Realign is to go for the Convivial. He ran well enough first time out (replay below), but he was a bit green and ran across the track. He travelled well that day though and he is a pretty useful horse I think.

“It is a strong maiden, and it should be for £100,000. There is likely to be 16 runners so you need a bit of experience as well.

“He is in a lot of nice races later on. This is a fast seven furlongs at York, but I’m not sure if we would stay at that trip in the future as he ran over six furlongs first time out and he has got lots of speed.”

GERMANIC (Sky Bet Mile Handicap)

“He is likely to go for the mile handicap which is for three-year-olds only. He won at Newcastle easily and then he ran at Thirsk and got beaten.

“The horse that beat him last time, Bobby Bennu, has since been beaten in a handicap at Newmarket, so I’m not convinced that is great form.

“A mark of 95 might flatter him a little bit, but he is a pretty nice horse. If he doesn’t run at York wherever he goes he will be competitive.”

TREASURE TIME (Sky Bet Mile Handicap)

“Treasure Time is going to the mile handicap for three year-olds as well. He had a terrible passage in running at Goodwood and he actually ran very well in the circumstances.

“He got messed about and it was a nightmare. He stayed on very well and I think he will enjoy this more conventional track."

Saturday

LAKE FOREST (Sky Bet City Of York Stakes)

“He wants fast ground and I would like him to run in the City Of York. His two starts this year have been very good. He has finished well twice and he looks for all the world that he wants the seventh furlong.

“Both times he has been the fastest finisher. Even the last 100 yards at Newbury he went from fourth to second in a very strong race for the grade. He is bred to get much further.

“Although he is by No Nay Never the dam’s side is full of horses that have won over a mile and more, and even a mile and a half, so on pedigree he should get it.

“When they have a lot of speed though it is difficult to start winging them up in trip.

"When you finish second in a Group One at Royal Ascot the first thing you don’t think about is that you want to step them up in trip, but we have always thought we would like to try him over seven furlongs at some stage.

“There is a very valuable race in Australia worth 10 million dollars called the Golden Eagle in November and that is over 1500 metres. If he gets this trip well we might consider that.”

NAQEEB (Sky Bet Ebor Handicap)

“The Ebor isn’t yet on the CV. I wanted to run Hamish in it a couple of years ago and the forecast for rain and it never rained until everyone went into the paddock so we took him out, as it didn’t rain enough.

“Naqeeb ran a very good race the first time at two miles on his last start at Newbury. He stays well, and he will love the fast pace here. He will come off the pace and hopefully run a good race. I think we are still learning about him.

“We cut him at the backend of last season and we were fiddling about with tongue ties and cheekpieces and seeing what makes him tick, but there is a good horse in there.

“I think Jim (Crowley) is working him out as quickly as we are, which is good, and I think this is the right way to go with him. I think the gelding operation has taken a bit longer for him to come to it.

“He ran very well at Royal Ascot as he was creeping into it then got stopped in his run. I think, and hope, he will run a good race in the Ebor.”

Published at 1110 BST on 18/08/24

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