Maltese Cross Reverses Derby Form In Great Voltigeur Stakes
Penalty No Match For Marquand's Ride
"It's a shame he has to carry a 5lb penalty but it's the perfect fit for whatever comes next, whether it's the Leger or the Arc," Tom Marquand had said before the Gr.2 Great Voltigeur Stakes, and the penalty made no difference. The 3YO travelled strongly for Marquand throughout, made headway three furlongs out, edged left approaching the furlong marker, then took command two furlongs out and stayed on well to beat Pierre Bonnard.
The Gr.2 Great Voltigeur Stakes was run over 1m 3f 188y at York Racecourse on good going, worth US$327,000 (£246,000) in total prize money. William Haggas-trained colt carried a 5lb penalty for his win in the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris and beat Pierre Bonnard by two lengths, with Christmas Day two and a quarter lengths further back in third. Owned by George Waud and bred by Ecurie du Sud and Ecurie Gribomont, the winner was ridden by Tom Marquand and collected US$188,500 (£141,775) of the purse in a time of 2m 32.04s.
Christmas Day and stablemate Antigua were sent forward to make the running, with Antigua setting the pace before fading three furlongs out and eventually finishing lame. Christmas Day, who had beaten Pierre Bonnard by a neck in the Gr.1 Irish Derby last time out, briefly led narrowly over three furlongs out before being headed and soon outpaced once the principals arrived.
Pierre Bonnard, held towards the rear for Wayne Lordan, made his own headway from three furlongs out and briefly led approaching the two-furlong marker before Maltese Cross went past him. He could find no extra in the final furlong but held on for second, a result that reversed his placing behind Christmas Day in Dublin.
Great Voltigeur Stakes Decided Late
Superior Choice hung left from over two furlongs out, according to jockey Shane Foley, and weakened into fourth for John and Thady Gosden. Galiyan pressed the pace early for Oisin Murphy before fading into fifth, while Antigua's injury took the shine off what had otherwise been sustained pacemaking work for Aidan O'Brien.
Reflecting on the manner of the win afterwards Haggas said, "I thought he came there well, Tom said he went too early, which I think he did, but he got drawn into it because Ryan set off," the trainer said, referring to Ryan Moore aboard Christmas Day. "He did very well today. I think that was probably a career-best. He showed a nice turn of foot in Paris last time that we didn't think he had." The master handler called it a proper Group One performance.
Maltese Cross has now won five of seven career starts, with two runner-up finishes on his record. His only defeat of the season came to Christmas Day at Epsom, on ground Marquand felt did not suit him, before the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris breakthrough persuaded connections he belonged in this company. Haggas had flagged the pattern before York. "Each race he's run in this year has been better than the previous one," the trainer said. "I'd say he's going the right way."
Aidan O'Brien, who saddled both beaten placegetters, addressed their efforts afterwards. "I was very happy with both horses. They both had a break after they ran in the Irish Derby and we knew the two of them were going to come on from it," O'Brien said. "It was a tough race and William's horse is a very classy horse, but we're delighted with ours. I would imagine they will both point towards the St Leger now, that was what we were thinking before this."
Haggas Weighs St Leger Against The Arc
The 5lb penalty was one Haggas accepted without enthusiasm before York, needing the run as the recognised trial to keep his colt's autumn options alive. Asked afterwards where Maltese Cross goes next, the trainer was in no hurry to commit. "We had a conversation about the Arc when Baaeed was around and I was pretty non-committal, and I'll be the same again," Haggas said. "He clearly stays very well and the St Leger is a prestigious race in its own right, so let's not be hasty and make decisions today. I've no idea where we're going, but I was really pleased with him, and I thought today, if he won with his 5lb penalty, that was a good sign. All options are open. The ground in Paris is likely to be slower than today and that's a factor, and if it's dry at Doncaster that's also a factor. They're two very prestigious races. Obviously one is world renowned, but the other is very prestigious to a Yorkshire-born, English trainer and owner."
Owner George Waud deferred the choice of target to his trainer. "William Haggas is the maestro obviously and we'll make our minds up in the next few days, I would have thought," Waud said. "I do like France."
Maltese Cross carries royal blood on both sides of his pedigree, by Sea The Stars out of the Camelot mare Nabatea. The winner is the third of four foals out of Nabatea, a winning half-sister to five stakes performers headed by the Gr.1 Deutsches Derby-winning sire Nutan, the Gr.1 Grosser Preis von Berlin heroine Nymphea and the Group Three-winning Navaro Girl, third in the Gr.1 Prix Jean Romanet. His second dam, Neele, was Group Three-placed, and her descendants include the Gr.1 Grosser Preis von Berlin runner-up Nerik. Maltese Cross is also a half-brother to the Listed-placed Namouria and the 3YO Prince Of Petra. His sire, Sea The Stars, won six Group One races in a single unbeaten season in 2009, among them the Derby and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Marquand had pushed back before York on the idea that Maltese Cross was among the slower Derby types. "He got prematurely labelled as a slow horse. He didn't get a chance to put ground between them in France, but he probably isn't a horse who would anyway. The way he won that day was impressive," the jockey said, and the manner of the Voltigeur win offered a rebuttal of its own.
Maltese Cross arrived at York carrying a penalty his trainer resented and left having beaten both the horse that beat him at Epsom and the horse that beat that horse in Dublin. Whether the next assignment is the Gr.1 St Leger Stakes at Doncaster or the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Paris Longchamp remains, in Haggas's own words, a decision for another day.
Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group Two): 06:00 GST (3:00 BST) | Group Two, Class 1 | FOR 3YO | NA | Turf | 1m 3f 188y | £246,000 (US$327,180) total (1st £141,775 (US$188,561), 2nd £53,750 (US$71,488), 3rd £26,900 (US$35,777), 4th £13,400 (US$17,822), 5th £6,725 (US$8,944), 6th £3,375 (US$4,489)) | Rail Position: NA | Track Condition: Good | Safety Limit: NA | Track Record: NA | Prize Breakdown: 1st £141,775.00 (US$188,561) | 2nd £53,750.00 (US$71,488) | 3rd £26,900.00 (US$35,777) | 4th £13,400.00 (US$17,822) | 5th £6,725.00 (US$8,944) | 6th £3,375.00 (US$4,489)
Great Voltigeur Stakes (Group 2): 1 Maltese Cross (T: William Haggas / J: Tom Marquand) | 2 Pierre Bonnard (T: Aidan O'Brien / J: Wayne Lordan) | 3 Christmas Day (T: Aidan O'Brien / J: Ryan Moore)