Haggas gunning to break 22-year Derby drought

It is 22 years since trainer William Haggas won a Derby so he is understandably keen to win the world’s most famous race once again.

This year he has an added incentive, to win for one of his chief patrons, Bernard Kantor, MD of sponsors Investec.

Shammit won for Haggas in 1996 and in 2015 he saddled Storm The Stars to finish third.

His hopes now rest on the Kantor-owned Young Rascal, who is 10-1 third favourite following the colt’s recent Chester Cup win, a race seen as an important pointer to the Derby.

Haggas and his wife Maureen, daughter of the legendary Lester Piggott, have a deep affection for Kantor, who has been a supporter of the stable.

Haggas said he would love to win the Epsom classic. “The Derby is Bernard’s baby. He persuaded the board to invest in the race, he has a huge passion for racing, he feels the Derby is a global brand and has done a magnificent job promoting it, which is great for all of us.”

Apart from the favourite, Saxon Warrior, James Doyle, who will ride Young Rascal, will have to contend with another promising runner, Dante Stakes victor Roaring Lion.

He will be ridden by Oisin Murphy, who said his mount was “in good form, and the performance at the Dante meeting was very good. Hopefully he’ll run well. I can’t see any reason why Roaring Lion wouldn’t handle the Epsom track.”

The two-day Investec festival starts on Friday with two Group 1 races, the Coronation Cup and Investec Oaks. The former race is expected to be won by John Gosden’s Cracksman, the mount of Frankie Dettori.

In contrast, trainer Aidan O’Brien sets punters a poser with six runners in the mileand-a-half race. With Magical under a cloud, the pick of the sextet could be Bye Bye Baby.