William Haggas tells me next targets for two of his Royal Ascot stars – but it's more bad news for Economics
UNLUCKY Wokingham runner-up More Thunder could be supplemented for the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket while impressive Royal Ascot victor Merchant may well head to Glorious Goodwood.
That's the latest news from William Haggas as he shuffles plans for some of his stable stars, although options remain on hold for Economics as he continues to recover from injury.
Advertisement
1
William Haggas said hugely impressive Royal Ascot winner Merchant could end up in the St Leger at the end of the season
Credit: Alamy
More Thunder has been an absolute revelation for Haggas, having been trained last term by the now retired Sir Michael Stoute.
Just a year ago this month, More Thunder was beaten at Chester over an extended 1m2f.
A year on, however, the son of Night of Thunder, owned by Saeed Suhail, has raced solely over 6f, scoring at Newmarket twice before coming from last to second - beaten a head - behind Get It in the Wokingham.
He would have won in another stride or two.
Advertisement
Haggas told me: "More Thunder could go to Ireland on the 20th for a Group 2 over 7f or he could be supplemented for the July Cup.
"We will look at the Group 1 over 7f at York as well.
"He was a bit far back and got tangled up in the Wokingham but ran very well."
Merchant got a huge form boost over the weekend when Serious Contender, the horse he beat in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, chased home Lambourn in the Irish Derby.
Advertisement
Most read in Horse Racing
Rated just 90 at Ascot, Merchant will now head into Group races.
"The Gordon Stakes looks the most likely target for Merchant," Haggas said.
"It's possible he's a St Leger horse. But all options are open.
"He could still be a King George contender, and what I can say is he won't come out of that race at the next forfeit. So we will see."
Advertisement
Last season's monster Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes victor Economics missed Royal Ascot through injury and has been absent since October of last year when defeated in the Qipco Champion Stakes.
Economics is going nowhere for the time being.
Haggas said: "As everyone knows he got an injury from which he is recovering but not quickly enough for us.
"We are missing big events like Royal Ascot and the Eclipse.
Advertisement
"I doubt he will be ready for the Irish Champion so we will be looking at later in the season."
On a brighter note, Godwinson might be upped in class for the Group 3 Prix Messidor.
Haggas said: "He went up 5lb for winning the Lincoln which was a good prize and another 5lb for winning at Newcastle the other day which was much less money which is not ideal.
"But what can you do? I needed to run him and the going on the grass is too firm for him. He might well go to France."
Advertisement
In other stable news, Haggas remains bullish about the talent of Lake Forest despite the colt beating only two home in the Criterion at York over the weekend.
Lake Forest had been brilliant in Australia back in November, taking the Golden Eagle at Rosehill in terrific fashion from Lazzat, himself a star at Royal Ascot.
"We ran Lake Forest too quick," said Haggas.
"It was also not a track to come from behind from. It looked like there would be plenty of pace, but the other front runners left Quinault alone - although he did very well - which wasn't good for us.
Advertisement
!Lake Forest could go for the Lennox at Glorious Goodwood or the Sussex.
!He could easily run second or third in a Sussex. He's a good horse. He's got a lot of ability.
!Remember the race he ran at Newmarket as a juvenile in a novice was awful (got beat at 1-3f). Then he came out and won the Gimcrack!"
FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org
.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Advertisement
Read more on the Irish Sun
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chases their losses
Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare –
Gamble Aware –
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
William Haggas tells me next targets for two of his Royal Ascot stars – but it's more bad news for Economics
UNLUCKY Wokingham runner-up More Thunder could be supplemented for the Group 1 July Cup at Newmarket while impressive Royal Ascot victor Merchant may well head to Glorious Goodwood. That's the latest news from William Haggas as he shuffles plans for some of his stable stars, although options remain on hold for Economics as he continues to recover from injury. Advertisement 1 William Haggas said hugely impressive Royal Ascot winner Merchant could end up in the St Leger at the end of the season Credit: Alamy More Thunder has been an absolute revelation for Haggas, having been trained last term by the now retired Sir Michael Stoute. Just a year ago this month, More Thunder was beaten at Chester over an extended 1m2f. A year on, however, the son of Night of Thunder, owned by Saeed Suhail, has raced solely over 6f, scoring at Newmarket twice before coming from last to second - beaten a head - behind Get It in the Wokingham. He would have won in another stride or two. Advertisement Haggas told me: "More Thunder could go to Ireland on the 20th for a Group 2 over 7f or he could be supplemented for the July Cup. "We will look at the Group 1 over 7f at York as well. "He was a bit far back and got tangled up in the Wokingham but ran very well." Merchant got a huge form boost over the weekend when Serious Contender, the horse he beat in the King George V Stakes at Royal Ascot, chased home Lambourn in the Irish Derby. Advertisement Most read in Horse Racing Rated just 90 at Ascot, Merchant will now head into Group races. "The Gordon Stakes looks the most likely target for Merchant," Haggas said. "It's possible he's a St Leger horse. But all options are open. "He could still be a King George contender, and what I can say is he won't come out of that race at the next forfeit. So we will see." Advertisement Last season's monster Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes victor Economics missed Royal Ascot through injury and has been absent since October of last year when defeated in the Qipco Champion Stakes. Economics is going nowhere for the time being. Haggas said: "As everyone knows he got an injury from which he is recovering but not quickly enough for us. "We are missing big events like Royal Ascot and the Eclipse. Advertisement "I doubt he will be ready for the Irish Champion so we will be looking at later in the season." On a brighter note, Godwinson might be upped in class for the Group 3 Prix Messidor. Haggas said: "He went up 5lb for winning the Lincoln which was a good prize and another 5lb for winning at Newcastle the other day which was much less money which is not ideal. "But what can you do? I needed to run him and the going on the grass is too firm for him. He might well go to France." Advertisement In other stable news, Haggas remains bullish about the talent of Lake Forest despite the colt beating only two home in the Criterion at York over the weekend. Lake Forest had been brilliant in Australia back in November, taking the Golden Eagle at Rosehill in terrific fashion from Lazzat, himself a star at Royal Ascot. "We ran Lake Forest too quick," said Haggas. "It was also not a track to come from behind from. It looked like there would be plenty of pace, but the other front runners left Quinault alone - although he did very well - which wasn't good for us. Advertisement !Lake Forest could go for the Lennox at Glorious Goodwood or the Sussex. !He could easily run second or third in a Sussex. He's a good horse. He's got a lot of ability. !Remember the race he ran at Newmarket as a juvenile in a novice was awful (got beat at 1-3f). Then he came out and won the Gimcrack!" FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Advertisement Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Aidan O'Brien's reaction says it all after Irish Derby – 'It's nonsense!'
Legendary trainer Aidan O'Brien has defended any criticism aimed at the Curragh over Irish Derby weekend, branding it 'nonsense.' Irish flat racing's HQ underwent an €81.5 million revamp in 2019, and the hope was that the air of exclusivity that has long surrounded the Co. Kildare course would be banished, and punters would return in their droves. However, shaking an elitist label has not been easy, and warmth for the impressive venue, which plays host to all five of Ireland's Classics, is scarce. The Irish Derby graced the Curragh over the weekend, and the three-day meeting, with nine races on each programme, came under fire for a bloated card with handicaps galore. Of the 118 runners on Sunday, O'Brien's charge, Lambourn, was the talk of the town, as he bid to become just the 20th horse to do the Derby double. In workmanlike fashion, the odds-on son of Australia obliged, leading home a Ballydoyle 1-2 in the classic feature. After the dust had settled, O'Brien spoke to Racing TV about the win and the flak that the Curragh's card had caught, and he didn't mince his words. "I think most of it is unfair," began O'Brien on Sunday. "If everyone just gets it into their head to tell people to come racing, not to be critical and not to be telling people how bad it is, telling people how good it is… "It's nonsense. It's absolute negativity at its strongest. Tell people how good it is, and everyone will come and have a great time. That's the problem. "Everyone in racing needs to change. Tell people how great it is and to come and feel it. The more people that come, the better the atmosphere, the more things will happen and the more things will be put on. "We're all in this world at this time. Enjoy it, get together and have a great time, but try not to be negative; be positive. If you're positive, all the positive things will happen. If you're negative, all the negative things will come. "So, everybody, try and be more positive and believe me, it will be all so much better for everybody, because all everyone wants to do is get people in and do the best they can for everyone. "You can pick holes in every single thing in life, and you can look at the negatives and the positives of everything. So, start looking at the positives and it will change everything for everybody. "There was an unbelievable atmosphere today," he added. "We were inside early on, same as Friday, and we're outside now, but it's so different. You can still hear the band beating in the background. In this weather, it's second to none really." The worry before the meeting was that attendance would suffer due to a low-quality card and the Curragh's general unappealing nature. Still, numbers on Irish Derby day were similar to 2024, as it is reported roughly 11,000 turned up. Yet, this is less than half of the number who turned up in 2015, as an estimated 25K were present at the Curragh that day. Even this figure would be dwarfed by the peak crowds of the last century, when over 40K were sometimes attracted to the event.
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Aidan O'Brien's life beyond horse racing with wife and children including trainer son Joseph
AIDAN O'Brien marked his latest career milestone over the weekend as Lambourn became the 20th horse to complete the Anglo-Irish double . Aidan, 55, was joined in the celebratory scenes at the Curragh's winners enclosure by wife Ann-Marie. 3 Celebrating Saturday's victory in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby with wife Anne-Marie Credit: Inpho 3 Saturday's success was the 17th time he's trained an Irish Derby winner Credit: PA 3 Son Joseph, 32, is a rising star as a trainer Credit: Getty Here, SunSport delves into his life beyond the race track with Ann-Marie and their four children. WHERE IS AIDAN O'BRIEN FROM? The Ballydoyle handler hails from County Wexford though his yard is actually located in Tipperary near Rosegreen. It is owned by John Magnier and Coolmore Stud. He was born on October 16 1969 as one of six kids. His dad Denis was involved in the racing industry but only as a small-time trainer with his day job being farming. Aidan went to secondary school at New Ross' Good Counsel College. Interestingly, he's been a proud pioneer since his teenage days and has always abstained from alcohol. Read More On Irish Sport WHO IS AIDAN O'BRIEN'S WIFE? He and Anne-Marie tied the knot in 1991. They have four children with racing fans needing no introduction to son Joseph who at 32, has already established himself as a quality trainer in his own right. But their three other offspring in son Donnacha and daughters Sarah Anastasia have also been jockeys before so the whole family is steeped in the sport. Aidan is no relation to Irish racing icon Vincent O'Brien who dominated on both sides of the Irish Sea before Aidan took over the Ballydoyle stables after he retired in 1994. PERSONAL INSIGHTS The flat legend largely keeps his private life just that. Most read in Horse Racing But in a rare feature interview last year with In the piece he's compared to Aidan O'Brien loses his cool in passionate TV interview after Lambourn wins Irish Derby But days of failure still come such as Asked how he deals with setbacks like that, O'Brien emphasized compartmentalising is a crucial aspect of the racing game since it is such a relentless calendar. He outlined: "Look, when the day is bad like that, I get on the plane and I sleep. That's the first thing, to cut myself off. "When I get home, I'll have two or three hours work to do in the yard and set up tomorrow morning. "That takes me to bed time. I'll go straight to sleep and when I get up, I never thinking about yesterday. It's gone. "By thinking about it, you're not going to get it back. You have to get focused on the days in front and learn from the things we need to be working on. "I can sleep no problem. If you don't sleep, the next day you'll be destroyed and the reason I would sleep is to let your mind heal, relax and go on. "If you start off the day after not sleeping it's going to be a disaster the next day and that's a little bit of a strange thing that I've done over the years."
