HAGGAS HEADS TO YORK
WILLIAM HAGGAS is aiming to fulfil a career ambition this weekend by finishing top trainer at York for the year.
The Skipton-born trainer has notched 12 wins on the Knavesmire in 2017 – three more than his fellow Yorkshireman and nearest rival, Tim Easterby.
Both stables will be well represented at York’s season-concluding two-day meeting which gets underway tomorrow.
“I always wanted to, one day, be leading trainer at York one season,” said Haggas, below. “We nearly did it a couple of years ago and got done on the last day when David O’Meara had four winners over the last two meetings.
“This year, it looks as though it’s only Tim that’s the danger.”
Haggas expects to run “three or four each day”, including The Grand Visir in the Unibet Handicap in tomorrow’s £100,000 feature.
On Saturday he will saddle Raucous in the £100,000 Coral Sprint Trophy and have two in the coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes – a six-furlong Listed race for juveniles,
worth £50,000.
Primarily
He said: “In the past, we’ve not had a plethora of runners – we’ve just been very lucky. But this time, we’re going to run a few, primarily because we’d obviously like to try and win.” With Pat Cosgrave out of favour, David Allan takes over on Tulip Fever, who won at Yarmouth last time, in tomorrow’s opening nursery. Zwayyan, successful for Frankie Dettori last Friday at Ascot, is turned out quickly again for the second race on the card – the unibet.co.uk Handicap. Dettori will be at Newmarket, so Adam Kirby, who has won on three of his five rides for Haggas in 2017, comes in for the mount. The Grand Visir returns to York after finishing fifth over course and distance in the Betfred Melrose Handicap at the Ebor meeting. Haggas said: “He ran a very good race in the Melrose. He hasn’t run since but he’s in good form and we’ve had this race in mind for a while.” Saturday’s Coral Sprint Trophy is the plan for Raucous who has run well without getting his head in front since winning on the all-weather at Chelmsford in the spring. Haggas said: “He’s got plenty of talent. We’ll just see how he goes. He’s in really good form and looks great.” Kempton winners Barton Mills and Island Drive are inked in for the coral.co.uk Rockingham Stakes. Haggas said: “Barton Mills has run twice and run well over seven furlongs. Martin (Harley) is very keen to try him at six, so we’re giving it a go in a Listed race.” Haggas has been in contention to land the Charles Clinkard-backed top trainer crown for 2017 since the Dante Festival where he landed a big-race triumph with Tasleet. “He was marvellous that day,” said Haggas, nominating that win as his favourite from his dozen to date. “York means a lot to a lot of people,” he said. “It’s a great track, always packed and just a very good atmosphere. We race on lovely ground. The groundsmen do a great job – it’s first class.” Full coverage of every race over the two days is on Racing UK.