Maltese Cross will lead the team of trainer William Haggas at the Sky Bet Ebor Festival, where he is scheduled to tackle the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes at York on Wednesday.
The Sea The Stars colt has a most progressive profile for 2026, building from a Newbury novice winner in April to Group 1-winning status – via a second-place finish in the Derby at Epsom.
The high point to date of his career came last month when he won the Grand Prix de Paris.
Maltese Cross will carry a 5lb penalty for that Group 1 triumph when he bids to follow up in Group 2 company over a mile and a half on the Knavesmire.
Proud Yorkshireman Haggas, whose long-term Somerville Lodge base is in Newmarket, said: “He's in good shape. I don't like the 5lb penalty, I think 3lb would have been plenty – but it is what it is and we've got no other choice if we want to run in the Leger or the Arc. We need to run in a recognised trial and the Voltigeur is certainly that.
“It'll be a tough race, especially with his penalty, but he's very well and doesn't appear to mind any ground so we’re very hopeful.
“He put up his best performance I thought, last time, so each race he's run in this year has been better than the previous one. I'd say he's going the right way. I don't know when it'll stop but we'll find that out soon enough.”
Lake Forest will feature among the other high-quality prospects from the yard destined for the four-day fixture.
The five-year-old chestnut will have another shot at Group One success in the Sky Bet City of York Stakes on Saturday, in which he finished runner-up to Never So Brave, 12 months ago.
Lake Forest was busy in classy company at Glorious Goodwood last month, triumphing in the G2 Lennox Stakes and then finishing seventh to Bow Echo in the G1 Sussex Stakes.
Haggas said: “A lovely, kind horse now and he’s doing very, very well.
“He won the Lennox nicely; we ran him back the next day in the Sussex – he was a little bit unfortunate. I think he would have run closer.”
Haggas is keeping close tabs on the weather for Klassleader, winner of the Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Jorvik Handicap at the Dante Festival in May and prominent in the betting for the £500,000 Sky Bet Ebor, also on the final day of the festival.
Haggas said: “We've waited all year for this race and he's in great shape, but he needs rain and it's been a tough summer for him.”
He has plenty of others under consideration, commenting: “A lot will depend on the ground because everyone's looking for rain now.
“Earth Shot would need quite a lot of rain to run in the Yorkshire Oaks. I don’t want to run her on fast ground again this season.”
One filly Haggas has inked in for Thursday (20 August) is Rhapsody for the Listed British EBF and Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes.
He said: “First time at a mile and a half, but we think she'll stay it nicely.”
Goodwood handicap winner, Infraad, is primed for the Sky Bet Melrose Handicap (Saturday 22 August) and on the same card Saber Strike is a possibility for the Group 3 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes.
One thing’s for sure, Haggas – leading trainer at York Racecourse in 2025 – relishes the Sky Bet Ebor Festival.
He said: “It’s a great occasion – I try so hard to get nice horses there.”
The four-day Sky Bet Ebor Festival runs from Wednesday August 19 to Saturday August 22.
Sky Bet Great Voltigeur Stakes
Paddy Power: 2 Maltese Cross, 5/2 Pierre Bonnard, 7/2 Christmas Day, 4 Superior Choice, 10 Limestone, 14 Galiyan, 33 Causeway, Round The Table, 100 Action, Antigua
Each Way: 1/5 Odds, 3 Places
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