Arc de Troimphe preview: George Waud dreaming the dream with Maltese Cross

It has already been a remarkable journey on the track for Waud, producer of 2006 hit Snakes On A Plane, and the son of Sea The Stars, who has so far this year finished second in the Betfred Derby and claimed victory in the Grand Prix de Paris and Sky Bet Great Voltigeur.

As a result of those displays the William Haggas-trained three-year-old now heads to ParisLongchamp on October 4 as one of the leading British contenders bidding to try and win one of Flat racing’s ultimate crown jewels.

And while Waud is counting down the days until his pride and joy graces the Parisian turf for the second time this season, he still has to take a moment as to what he stands on the brink of achieving.

He said: “We had a feeling that Maltese Cross could potentially be a Derby horse, but at the back of your mind you hope they are going to have a good winter and come out fine. Like everyone else in my generation you were allowed to make two bets a year, one was on the Derby and the other the Grand National.

“It was a real thrill to have a runner in the Derby. It is a similar feeling for the Arc, I’m probably a little bit more in control of my emotions than I was before the Derby though. The Derby was the first time we had run him in a Classic and Group One race so that had its own excitement. I do feel a bit battle weary now, but at the same still incredibly excited.

“He is a very exciting horse and I can’t believe how lucky we are to have him, and to be included in these conversions with these great Group One horses is. It would be something else if everything came together in the Arc.”

Making big calls is something Waud has been used to throughout his career, however he admits that the decision to give up the opportunity to try and bag Classic glory in the Betfred St Leger was not as easy as some might think.

He added: “It wasn’t an easy decision to choose which race to go for. To have the opportunity to try and win an English Classic is an extraordinary position for a small outfit like us.

“The decision was made based on the fact that he likes a bit of time between his races and we felt the extra two or three weeks he would have going to France opposed to the St Leger was the deciding factor.

“What a lovely conversation to be having, shall we go to the Arc or the St Leger. It is just really incredible.”

Both the manner of his comeback success at Newbury and victory in the Listed William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial suggested it was stamina that won the day.

However, in recent starts he has shown that he is simply not just a dour stayer, but in fact a horse that has the ideal blend of both speed and stamina, something that excites Waud.

He added: “He was always just winning by enough in his early starts, but I think you have to draw a line through the Derby because of the ground. He won the Grand Prix de Paris in an extraordinary way. Two hundred yards out it didn’t look like he was going to get in the frame.

“But Tom (Marquand) and Maltese found that little tiny gap. It was really exciting for us as Tom has always said he has got another gear, but he doesn’t feel like going into it. He found that gear that day as he turned on the rockets, and he showed the same at York.

“It was extraordinary in France though. It was almost like they had freeze framed a video and picked him up, moved him to the front, and pressed play again. It was great. We are really excited about that extra gear and proper turn of pace at the end of his races."

Those that have met Waud will testify to the positivity he exudes when in his presence. And while there will be plenty fretting about the weather, and the draw, for him it is something he is relaxed about safe in the knowledge he has an almost bomb proof horse on his side.

Waud said: “We don’t want Derby ground at the Arc as that would spoil the party a bit. He will go on it, but he won’t go his best on it, and we want to see him at his best.

“The weather and draw I have no control over so I’m not going to worry about it. It was Sam (Haggas) that said before the Derby it is not what the draw is, it is what you do with it. Whatever the draw is there will be a plan and we will make the most of it.

“The only time I’ve really been nervous was before the Voltigeur as I really wanted him to turn over Christmas Day. The bottom line is nothing I can do is going to change anything so there is no point stressing about it. He has never had a bad day at the office, and touch wood that will keep going as he is a real trier.”

Only the Francis Graffard-trained Daryz stands above Maltese Cross in the betting for the prestigious Group One contest, and like the betting firms, it is last year’s winner that Waud believes is the horse Maltese Cross needs to improve past.

He added: “We looked at the most recent Daryz race, but there were only three runners in the race, and I don’t think they went that fast. They were five seconds slower than our time in the Grand Prix de Paris, which makes things difficult to judge from that performance, but we know from the past that Daryz is a very useful horse. He won the race last year, and he is proper competition.

“I would definitely say that we are the underdog, but you want to take on the best. I think Daryz has probably got the edge. When he ran at York we discovered he doesn’t travel well, but unfortunately for us he doesn’t have to travel far to get to Longchamp!

“I know Maltese Cross is a good horse, we are hoping he is going to prove he is the best horse, and we are hopeful. I think he is going to be up against some top horses on October 4th, but that is what you want, you want to beat the best.”

In order to continue his build up to his date with destiny next month, Maltese Cross was put through his paces during an early morning spin under Cieren Fallon on the Rowley Mile on Saturday in front of a beaming owner and trainer.

Waud said: “I was pleased with what I saw out there today and I was delighted by what Cieren (Fallon) said when he came off. He said he had quickened up and that he is a faster horse. It went exactly the way we hoped it would.

“If you have got a Sea The Stars progeny I don’t think that there is a better trainer than William Haggas to send them to. He understands them and he knows how to fine tune them. I feel very lucky we sent Maltese Cross to William.”

And on a day where every box needs ticking, one thing Waud can be assured of is a strong contingent of support for Maltese Cross after funding trips for 96 members of Old Gold Racing, which he is chairman of, and a further four to the general public.

He added: “The response to the competition has been great. It is a lovely thing for me to be able to show my gratitude to our owners in Old Gold who have been incredibly loyal and supportive of our business.

“You have to remember we started with one horse and a couple of hundred owners and we now have got nearly 40 horses in training and 30,000 owners, which has to be good for racing.

“The Old Gold community has been unbelievably supportive of Maltese Cross and the amount of messages I get from our owners is great. The whole thing really is thrilling.

"The key thing to take out of the Derby was that he improved and won in Paris, he then improved and won at York. We are just hoping that cycle will continue next month.”

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