Haggas eager for 2022 campaign with Baaeed

Nick Robson
October 18, 2021 12:32 pm

Trainer hopes mile sensation can shine again next year.

William Haggas is looking forward to seeing Baaeed in action next year having guided him to an unbeaten three-year-old season.

Baaeed has enjoyed a rapid ascent to the top of the tree as he was unraced as a juvenile and did not make his racecourse debut until the week of the Derby.

He ended his campaign by toppling Europe’s best miler in Palace Pier in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot, with defending champion The Revenant even further behind, confirming Baaeed’s position in the top rank.

“I don’t think John (Gosden) was happy with Frankie’s ride on Palace Pier, but Jim felt he had him covered all the way,” said Haggas.

What a racehorse this is! Baaeed beats Palace Pier in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes sponsored by QIPCO! @JimCrowley1978, William Haggas and @ShadwellStud have a machine on their hands! pic.twitter.com/MViU2jBSy5
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 16, 2021

“We were expecting Palace Pier to attack in good time, but they crawled for the first furlong and I think Frankie thought he had the front ones covered, but Baaeed was always travelling well and I think he won OK in the end.

“Of course I’m looking forward to next year – as long as he stays right both physically and mentally – and he’s been a delight to train so far. He’ll be a fun horse to have next year.

“It’s terrific to have one of the best three-year-olds in Europe, probably.”

Baaeed’s path to the top – being unraced at two to winning Group Ones at three – mirrored Sea Of Class, who Haggas trained to be beaten just a nose in the 2018 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Sea of Class was another top-notcher trained by Haggas who did not run at two (Tim Goode/PA)

“Sea Of Class was a brilliant filly and she also stayed well. She unfortunately died as a four-year-old. I shouldn’t have run her at Ascot that year (on soft ground in the 2019 Prince of Wales’s Stakes), but I won’t make that mistake again,” he said.

“She was exceptional and she was possibly a bit unfortunate in the Arc. She jumped straight into a Listed race on her second start having got beat in her maiden.

“Baaeed was a bit different, he needed a novice race and then the Listed before a Group Three and two Group Ones, so his rise has been pretty amazing too.”

Haggas admits he never envisaged Baaeed as a top miler given he is by Sea The Stars and his full brother Hukum has won at up to 14 furlongs.

“A lot of mine that don’t run at two I’m pretty sure are OK. I can’t remember why he didn’t run, he may have been immature, may have had a few niggles and then it went very soft, so I didn’t want to run him,” said Haggas.

“I’m also not a huge lover of the all-weather. Obviously we have quite a lot of runners on it, but I don’t like running two-year-olds on it. Sometimes you have to but if I know they are quite good, they don’t run.

“I never saw him as a Guineas horse because I saw him as a stayer given how well his brother (Hukum) stays.”