William Haggas | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sea the Stars’ Baaeed Takes The Moulin

Up in class and up against milers proven at the top level on Sunday, Shadwell's Baaeed (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) went through the motions in the manner of a true professional to collect the G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp. Sent off the 1-2 favourite having shown rare talent in the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. at Newmarket July 8 and the G3 Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood July 30, the William Haggas-trained bay was sent into third early by Jim Crowley and waited outside with no threat of interference. Seizing the lead from the aggressively-ridden Novemba (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}) approaching the furlong pole, the homebred held Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) to score by 1 1/4 lengths, with Victor Ludorum (GB) (Shamardal) a short neck away in third. “He's a super horse who is improving all the time and still learning,” the winning rider said. “He was idling in front and is very exciting. It's the first group 1 in Europe for Sheikha Hissa, so I'm pleased for her. He's a very easy ride and travels well and stays a mile very well.”

Maiden winners who impress on the clock as well as visually are often false dawns, but Baaeed went forward from his eye-catching debut at Leicester June 7 to register a stunning 7 1/2-length success in a Newmarket novice 12 days later. If there was any chance of a bubble bursting, it would have happened in a fiercely-competitive renewal of the July Course's Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. but his answer was a four-length success as lacking in drama as it is possible to see from a lightly-raced 3-year-old so soon after his introduction to racing. That was on good-to-firm, but as the soft dried out to produce a tacky surface at the Goodwood festival he just churned out another star display when the 6 1/2-length winner of the G3 Thoroughbred S. Demanding a tilt at a race such as this in the process, the speedier and classier version of his full-brother Hukum (Ire) was just as unfazed surrounded by winners of a Breeders' Cup, a mile Classic and a super-strong Falmouth.

It was the heroine of the latter contest who broke best, but Jim Crowley was keen to close the door on Snow Lantern (GB) (Frankel {GB}) as Ryan Moore sent on Order of Australia and then Novemba surged by and into isolation in front. That misjudgement of pace by Bauyrzhan Murzabayev meant the G2 German 1000 Guineas winner was an irrelevance up ahead and with Baaeed sticking close to Order of Australia the tactics were already sorted out by the time the home turn was navigated. From the two to the one, the deciding factor was that the Haggas star was quicker than his Ballydoyle rival as Victor Ludorum put up his best performance in some time on a real going day.

“It looks like he was a little bit fresh today and slightly jumped on the bit as the German filly went by and he didn't have cover, but he stayed on nicely in the straight,” Maureen Haggas said. “In fact, he had a little bit of a battle which he hadn't had before so that will be good for his education. I'd imagine there will be some improvement to come, but it will be more from the learning process than physically. Now he's had a battle he might be even better. I would say the [Oct. 16 G1] Queen Elizabeth II [at Ascot] is the logical next race, but we don't want to run him on ground that is too soft so we'll see nearer the time. There is also the Breeders' Cup. He's very lightly-raced and a brand new horse really, so hopefully he might stay in training as a 4-year-old but that's up to his owners.”

Baaeed rates as the fastest group 1 winner for his illustrious sire so far, which is a surprise given that his aforementioned full-sibling Hukum has won two renewals of the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. over 13 furlongs and a G3 Silver Cup over a mile and three quarters. The dam is the Listed Prix de Liancourt winner Aghareed (Kingmambo), who is a daughter of the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and GI Flower Bowl Invitational heroine Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}). The fourth dam is the Listed Cheshire Oaks runner-up Bashayer (Mr. Prospector), a full-sister to the dual listed scorer Sarayir who is in turn responsible for the G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Coronation S. heroine Ghanaati (Giant's Causeway). Bashayer is kin to the legendary champion Nashwan and the four-times group 1-winning Nayef et al. Aghareed's unraced 2-year-old filly by Intello (Ger) is named Zaghaareed (GB), while she also has a yearling colt by Nathaniel (Ire) and a colt foal by Night of Thunder (Ire).

Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France
PRIX DU MOULIN DE LONGCHAMP-G1, €450,000, ParisLongchamp, 9-5, 3yo/up, 8fT, 1:39.13, g/s.
1–BAAEED (GB), 126, c, 3, by Sea the Stars (Ire)
1st Dam: Aghareed (SW-Fr), by Kingmambo
2nd Dam: Lahudood (GB), by Singspiel (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahayeb (GB), by Arazi
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O/B-Shadwell Estate Company Ltd (GB); T-William Haggas; J-Jim Crowley. €257,130. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 5-5-0-0, €363,855. *Full to Hukum (Ire), MGSW-Eng, $303,834. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Order of Australia (Ire), 130, c, 4, Australia (GB)–Senta's Dream (GB), by Danehill. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €102,870.
3–Victor Ludorum (GB), 130, c, 4, Shamardal–Antiquities (GB), by Kaldounevees (Fr). O/B-Godolphin; T-Andre Fabre. €51,435.
Margins: 1 1/4, SNK, 2HF. Odds: 0.50, 6.20, 6.80.
Also Ran: Snow Lantern (GB), Novemba (Ger), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by TVG.

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Poetic Flare Out of Moulin and Will Line Up in Irish Champion

Classic winner Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) will skip an intended start in Sunday's G1 Prix du Moulin and instead line up in the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Sept. 11, trainer Jim Bolger revealed on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast. It will mark the first time the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. hero will try a distance beyond a mile. Since his Royal Ascot win in the St James's Palace S., the Bolger homebred was runner-up in the G1 Qatar Sussex S. on July 28 and filled that spot again behind Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville on Aug. 15. Bolger opted for the longer race due to the expected ground conditions.

“I've got the weather forecast for the week, [and] while it's going to rain, I don't think it will be enough to produce soft ground, so I'm taking a chance and at this stage we're saying we're going to Leopardstown,” he told Nick Luck's podcast. “[I was tempted to run in France] because I thought Leopardstown might get more rain, but I'm reasonably satisfied now that the going will be ok at Leopardstown.

“I'm not thinking about which is tough, I'm just going for which race I think suits best on the day. I'm not concerned about who goes where–I'm only concerned about the going.”

Poetic Flare would have clashed with Shadwell's unbeaten Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Moulin, who is trying Group 1 company for the first time at ParisLongchamp for William Haggas.

“I can't be sure [10 furlongs will suit better than a mile], but weighing up all the considerations, it's been fairly easy for me to opt for Leopardstown,” the trainer added.

“If you want to look at the financial side, the winner in Longchamp would take home about €250,000, which is not inconsiderable, and at Leopardstown it will be almost €700,000 I reckon. As someone who has to run the sport come business in a reasonably financial manner, Leopardstown makes more appeal.

“Leopardstown is home as well and we don't have to spend €80,000 on an aeroplane so for that reason, Leopardstown was a no-brainer but then I had to consider the going. They are the only considerations, I'm not concerned about who else is going there as long as there's room for us.”

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Sacred Possible For Breeders’ Cup

Cheveley Park Stud homebred Sacred (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) is targeting the G1 Prix de la Foret after returning to form with a win in the Aug. 14 G2 Hungerford S., but trainer William Haggas has also nominated the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar as a possibility for the 3-year-old filly who wants firm ground.

“Before the Foret the only possible is the [G2] Park S. at Doncaster, but she has to have to fast ground,” said Haggas. “Unfortunately fast ground Arc weekends are few and far between these days. I don't know whether [Cheveley Park owner Patricia] Mrs Thompson would like to travel, but the Breeders' Cup is certainly something I would consider. If she was keen on the idea then we'd go. But if she isn't then we'll wait; I think there's a chance she stays in training next year.”

Sacred has won twice over seven furlongs this season-the G3 Nell Gwyn S. and the Hungerford-either side of finishing seventh in the G1 1000 Guineas.

“Seven furlongs is the worst trip to have a good horse at; it's a pain,” Haggas lamented. “There is one Group 1 and four Group 2s, three of which fall in the same month. So you can't do them all–well, Jim Bolger might.

“There's then the Park S., and that's it. So it is a bad distance to have a good horse at, but that's the way it is. I think we'll try her over a mile again at some stage.”

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Fall Plans Revealed For Shadwell Stars

Shadwell group winners Raabihah (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Baaeed (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) are targetting the Oct. 3 G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Sept. 5 G1 Prix du Moulin, respectively, Shadwell Racing Manager Angus Gold revealed on Monday.

A 4-year-old filly, Raabihah was fifth in the 2020 Arc after taking the G3 Prix de Psyche last August and running second in the Sept. 13 G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille. Prior to her victory in Sunday's G2 Prix de Pomone, the chestnut was second thrice as the favourite in the May 2 G3 Prix Allez France Longines, the May 26 G2 Prix Corrida at Saint-Cloud and in the Listed Prix du Pays d'Auge at Clairefontaine on Aug. 1. She is also a possible for the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille on Sept. 12.

“I'd love to think we can have another crack at the Arc–that was the reason she was kept in training,” said Gold. “She got beat a couple of times earlier this season. But as (trainer) Jean-Claude (Rouget) said to me yesterday, sometimes with these fillies who have a relatively hard time at three–she was racing at the top table–it can just take them a while to get back to that level.

“We gave her a break at the stud, and it's just taken her three runs to get back up to speed. The distance yesterday is exactly what she should be running over on pedigree.

“It was great to get her back on track, and I don't see any reason why she wouldn't go for the Arc. Jean-Claude just wants to see how she comes out of it first before deciding whether she runs in the Vermeille first or not.”

Undefeated G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. hero Baaeed is in good form for trainer William Haggas. A half-brother to triple Group 3 winner Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the colt won a maiden at Leicester on June 7 and doubled up in a Newmarket novice on June 19. Given a first taste of stakes company on July 8, he captured the Listed Sir Henry Cecil S. over a mile at HQ by four lengths. His winning margin in the Bonhams Thoroughbred S. was 6 ½ lengths, also at a mile at Goodwood.

“At the moment we are probably going to the Prix du Moulin, that was the latest from the last conversation I had with Sheikha Hissa and William Haggas,” Gold said of Baaeed. “So the number one plan is to go to the Moulin if all is well.

“Obviously before the horse had run it would have been a silly thing to say this is what he would do, but he was a well-bred horse going into it. It just took him a bit of time to come to himself.

“What probably has surprised me is the speed he's shown–maybe it's just class. Before he'd ever ran I'd have thought he was probably going to be a mile-and-a-quarter to mile-and-a-half horse, so to see him doing all this over a mile is hugely encouraging.

“It's a not problem to have but he's showing too much speed, if that makes sense. He's a very exciting horse so we'll see if he can take the next step up.”

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