Haggas eyeing Ireland or France for Derby runner-up Maltese Cross
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Mon 8 Jun 2026
Maltese Cross may be given another shot at Classic honours, with William Haggas weighing up an Irish Derby bid or trip to France for the Grand Prix de Paris for his Betfred Derby runner-up.
The son of Sea The Stars was attempting to give the Somerville Lodge handler a second victory in the premier Classic on the 30th anniversary of his first ever runner in the race, Shaamit, passing racing’s most famous winning post first in 1996.
There was to be no fitting fairytale on a wet and gloomy afternoon on the Surrey Downs, but Maltese Cross fought valiantly for the silver medal behind Aidan O’Brien’s Christmas Day to leave his handler now eyeing further lucrative top-level prizes.
Haggas told the Press Association: “I thought he ran a very good, solid, genuine race. I couldn’t see an excuse and thought the winner was very good on the day, but I thought Maltese Cross ran with great credit and we’ll have some fun with him.
“The next move is important and the Irish Derby is only three weeks away and I did think he had a hard race at Epsom.
“He also has the option of the Grand Prix de Paris and he has French premiums, so that would an obvious one being a little bit later and could be more likely than the Irish Derby, but I can’t rule anything in or out yet.”
A trip to ParisLongchamp for the Group One feature of the annual Bastille Day fixture would allow Maltese Cross until July 14 to recover from his Epsom exertions.
However, the colt’s earlier victory in Lingfield’s Derby Trial prior to his run in Flat racing’s blue riband would give him a free shot at going one better in Classic company at the Curragh on June 28.
Haggas explained: “He would have to be supplemented for Ireland, but if you win the Lingfield Derby Trial and then finish in the first four in the English Derby then you get a free entry into the Irish Derby.
“If we supplement him we get our money back so effectively it won’t cost us anything which is obviously very attractive.
“The Irish Derby would be very much in calculations and it would be that or Paris if he is OK. Ireland would not cost us anything, but Paris gives us that bit more time.”
No matter where Maltese Cross heads next, his outing on the rain-sodden Downs has offered nothing but encouragement to Haggas, who left Epsom with no excuses and plenty of positivity about his versatility moving forwards.
Haggas continued: “I’ve always thought he was a top of the ground horse and such a fluent mover, but I couldn’t say the ground was an excuse and I think he went through it perfectly fine and coped with it.
“That’s a plus going forward and you could argue if he’s finished second in the Derby on soft ground he may want soft ground and he may well cope with it better than I thought.
“That was the first time he had encountered it since his debut and he handled it very well, and it could just be the case he’s one of those horses who doesn’t mind anything.”
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