Haggas’ dream is to Sea The Stars align in Arc

Sea Of Class’s agonisingly close second to champion Enable in the 2018 Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (2,400m) has left English trainer William Haggas with a very painful memory.

In typical phlegmatic British style, the Newmarket handler still exudes a combination of both pride and disappointment when recalling the day, not without a sense of humour that triggered peals of laughter at the press conference organised by France Galop on Sept 30.

“She finished very strongly, and I am convinced that with another 100 metres she would have won,” said Haggas.

“So you can imagine that we were delighted with her performance, but obviously extremely disappointed that she did not win.

“Christopher Tsui, the son of her owner Mrs Tsui, was of course there. And I could have kissed him – which may sound a little strange, because it is not really my style.

“A journalist rushed over to him and said: ‘You were terribly unlucky; you must be absolutely devastated.’

“And he replied: ‘I have never been so disappointed to win a million pounds.’ I thought that was a wonderful answer.”

With this year’s Arc still carrying the same purse of €5 million (S$7.2 million) as in 2018, Haggas will of course hope for the winner’s thicker end this time round, but it is first and foremost to realise a dream that is yet to be fulfilled.

On Oct 4, at the age of 66, Haggas returns to ParisLongchamp with Maltese Cross in a bid to go one better.

Besides being regarded as the main challenger to defending champion Daryz, the three-year-old colt happens to share the same sire as Sea Of Class.

They are both by Sea The Stars, the Arc winner in 2009 and who now stands at Gilltown Stud in Ireland, one of the Aga Khan Studs’ European operations.

Those blue-blooded lines are not lost on Haggas.

“In my view, Sea The Stars is the best horse I have ever seen – and I do not say that lightly,” said Haggas who trains from Somerville Lodge in Newmarket. “I think he was unfortunate to be overshadowed afterwards by Frankel.

“Frankel was a whole story in itself, beyond the fact that he was a great horse. The story of Frankel was as much about Sir Henry Cecil as it was about the horse himself.

“Sea The Stars won every race a trainer dreams of winning during their career: the Guineas, the Derby, the Juddmonte, the Arc, the Irish Champion Stakes. He was an exceptional horse.

“And perhaps there is one trait Maltese Cross shares with him: he does not win by very far. Sea The Stars never won by very far either.”

That similarity was not the only reason why Haggas has entered the five-time winner whose career highlight so far is the Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris (July 14) over the same Arc course and distance.

“When he won the Grand Prix de Paris, overcoming a difficult situation, that was the first time he really showed me speed,” said Haggas.

“Then, in the (Group 2) Great Voltigeur Stakes (over 2,400m at York on Aug 19), about 500 metres from the finish, he travelled into the race very easily and showed more speed than the others.

“And yet his rivals had strong form over 2,400 metres. So, deep down, I think the Arc was always the race that seemed most suitable for him.”

It would not be a stretch to imagine a new movie hitting the silver screen should Maltese Cross win. The owner is Hollywood film producer George Waud of Snakes On A Plane fame.

“To say George is looking forward to it would be an understatement,” said Haggas.

“He is chairman of the Old Gold Racing syndicate and offered 100 syndicate members places on an all-expenses-paid trip through a prize draw.

“He will have a lot of friends and guests there. He is making the very most of the experience.

“He has organised lunch, a box, everything you could possibly need. Nothing is going to stop him – and quite right too.”