Haggas quartet gearing up for autumn carnival raid

Cover image courtesy of Tattersalls

If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that runners coming over to Australia from the William Haggas stable need to be treated with the utmost respect.

The Newmarket-based trainer has won three Group 1s on Australian soil in recent times, including back-to-back wins in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. courtesy of the tough-as-teak Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who along with his jockey Tom Marquand, captured the hearts of many Australians during his two stints Down Under.

Addeybb aside, Haggas has also sent out back-to-back winners of the G3 Manion Cup in the shape of Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) and Favourite Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), and the news that he is preparing his biggest team yet for this year’s Sydney autumn carnival will undoubtedly serve as an ominous warning to local trainers ahead of the coming weeks and months.

Haggas’ four-strong team for 2023 is made up of Irish Listed winner Earl Of Tyrone (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and five-time winner Protagonist (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), both of whom have been purchased by multiple Melbourne-Cup winning syndicators Australian Bloodstock, as well French Group 2 winners Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) and Purplepay (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), both of whom also boast placings at Group 1 level.

The quartet were scheduled to touch down in Sydney on February 25, and despite a drier start to the month than expected, Haggas is happy with how his horses handled the first half of their quarantine in Newmarket.

“So far, for the first time since we have been doing this, it has actually been relatively mild,” he said.

“In the past when we brought Addeybb over, it was snowing when we were in quarantine, but at the moment it’s 10 or 11 degrees. That might not sound much to you lot, but it’s pretty good for February here!

“We’re a little bit short of rain so they weren't able to get on the grass, which is unfortunate, but I’m pleased with the condition of the horses at this stage and everything is pretty good.”

Everything may have gone smoothly as far as the horses are concerned, but Haggas’ autumn carnival raid suffered an early setback last week, when his regular jockey Tom Marquand was injured in a nasty fall from Dorothy Gail (Capitalist) in the $2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium.

Haggas remains optimistic that Marquand, or ‘Aussie Tom’ as he is affectionately known by racing aficionados in Australia, can recover from shoulder surgery in time for the first day of The Championships at Randwick on April 1, but admitted that it is still too early to call at this stage.

“He had an operation the other night and gave the impression that things had gone well,” Haggas revealed.

“He’s going to fly home as soon as he is allowed to and look after his wife, who has also had an injury and is having an operation on her elbow.

“I’m hoping very much that Tom will be fit enough to ride on either the first day of The Championships or at Doncaster in England for Lincoln Day on April 1 - He may want to ride there to see how he pulls up, and then if he feels comfortable, I think he’ll come down for The Championships on the 8th, provided that we have the horses in good shape.”

In the meantime, Haggas will need to identify Marquand’s replacement for those whom he intends to give a prep race in the lead up to The Championships, which may present a problem of its own.

“It’s hard to get someone and then say that for the main event, 'If Tom is available then Tom will ride’,” he added.

“Australian Bloodstock know what they’re doing, and they know the jockeys much better than me, but I’ll have to sort Dubai Honour and Purplepay and see what evolves.”

‘Not to be underestimated’

Dubai Honour will be following the tried and tested route of the G1 Ranvet S. into the G1 Queen Elizabeth S, a route trod so successfully by his former stablemate Addeybb.

Although Dubai Honour failed to win in four starts last season, prior to that the son of Coolmore stallion Pride Of Dubai had won a pair of Group 2 contests in France before finishing runner-up in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot.

Addeybb had filled the same position in the very same race prior to his maiden voyage to Australia, and the similarities between the pair don’t end there according to his trainer.

Like Addeybb, Dubai Honour needs plenty of give in the ground to be seen at his very best, and Haggas is concerned that the classy 5-year-old may not get conditions to suit come his date with destiny in the Queen Elizabeth.

“He’s a good horse Dubai Honour, he’s not to be underestimated,” Haggas said.

“In my opinion I never had him as I wanted him last year, he was never as good as he had been previously. He raced a lot on fast ground because we had no rain in England, so hopefully he’ll get the rain he needs.

“He’s better on a wet track, and that’s what frightens me the most. I look at the forecast every day in Sydney and it’s dry.

“I think he’s as good as we can get him at this stage and if he gets a wet track, he’ll be dangerous.”

Another whom Haggas warns should not be overlooked is Protagonist, who has won two of his five starts since moving to Somerville Lodge from Irish trainer Jessica Harrington.

Both of those two victories came over 2000 metres, and there is a definite sense that Protagonist could be one to jump out of the ground when he touches down on Australian soil.

“You shouldn’t underestimate him, he’s quite a smart horse,” Haggas said.

“He’ll go the Sky High Stakes and then we’ll decide whether to go to the Doncaster or the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The Sky High is very much a prep race.

“He was bought to stay in Australia, so he’ll likely stay after the carnival and head to Melbourne for the spring. We have to discuss it, but every option is open at the moment.”

An Earl and a Queen

Like Protagonist, leading syndicators Australian Bloodstock swooped to purchase another of Haggas’ Sydney-bound quartet in Earl Of Tyrone, parting with 300,000gns (AU$551,400) in conjunction with bloodstock agent Ronald Rauscher to secure him at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale in November.

Formerly trained in Ireland by Paddy Twomey, for whom he won a Listed race at Limerick and finished third in the lucrative Ebor H., Earl Of Tyrone’s new connections sent him straight to Haggas, a move that yielded an instant reward when the son of Australia (GB) landed a two-mile contest at Kempton on stable debut earlier this month.

Haggas is wary that the race set up perfectly for Earl Of Tyrone that day, but he was delighted with the turn of foot the 5-year-old showed in beating classy rival Berkshire Rocco (Fr) (Sir Percy {GB}) by 2.25l.

“That (turn of foot) wasn’t something that I’d seen before in his videos, but he had the run of the race - it all fell right and he had a nice draw,” he said.

“The cutaway at Kempton is an advantage for those on the inside, and he got a nice run round, shot up the inside and won well.

“I was quite pleased with him.”

Haggas confessed that the run was as much a learning exercise as anything else, and the result gave the trainer every confidence that Earl Of Tyrone could feasibly develop into a smart Cups horse.

“I was worried about running him so close to quarantine, but I wanted to find out one, whether he was a good stayer, and two, whether he needed a lot of work, because he’s a new horse to me,” Haggas said.

“I learnt that he takes very little work because I thought I’d underdone him, but I clearly hadn’t. He doesn’t need as much work as the others and I learnt that he stayed the trip.

“I feel that he only needs one race in Australia, and at the moment I’ll say it will be the Sydney Cup.

“I think the Melbourne Cup would suit him in the spring, if he’s that good, and he’ll be one who will benefit from no rain.”

The same can’t be said of Haggas’ fourth and final autumn carnival raider, Purplepay, whose four career successes in France have all come with soft in the going description.

After finishing third in the G1 Criterium International on her final start as a juvenile, Purplepay was purchased for an eye-watering €2,000,000 (AU$3.12 million) by Nicolas Bertran de Balanda on behalf of her current owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson at the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale in 2021, before being switched to the Haggas stable.

The daughter of Zarak (Fr) is also a Group 2 winner over a mile in her native country and will be aimed at the G1 Queen of the Turf S. at Randwick on April 8.

“She’s a very genuine filly who I thought would get further, but she didn’t stay when I ran her over a mile and a quarter at the Curragh,” Haggas said.

“I’m pleased we’re having a go with her - I think she’s a very hard, tough filly who races close to the speed, which I think is important, certainly at Randwick.

“The Queen of the Turf is the big target and she’ll have a prep run on the 11th of March in the Coolmore Classic.

“She’s a pretty useful filly and again a bit of cut in the ground will suit her well. I think she’ll do well if she gets her conditions.”

Competing on the world stage

After a year of no representation in 2022, Haggas is delighted to be sending his biggest ever team to Australia this year and is hoping to make the trip himself in time for Day 2 of The Championships at Randwick.

Having international runners at feature race meetings around the world is crucial for the sport according to Haggas, and the multiple Classic-winning trainer enjoys competing Down Under as much as anywhere else.

“What keeps us coming back to Australia is one we’ve had a bit of luck there, and two I think the world is becoming a smaller place,” he said.

“I think global competition is absolutely vital to the success of racing everywhere and I’m pleased to participate in it.

“We have big meetings in Saudi Arabia and Dubai, but there’s also big meetings in Australia and I’ve chosen to come to Australia this year.

“We’ve only come with two in the past, but you’ve got to find the horses that suit the races, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do. Hopefully we’ve got it right.”

If previous years are anything to go by, then there is every chance that Haggas and his team will have got it right once again.