In Britain, there are some really excellent racehorse trainers and most punters have their favourites, and follow the stable’s runners.
With all due respect to Andrew Balding who has enjoyed a magnificent season, John Gosden, Ralph Beckett and many others, it is William Haggas who is the trainer I have always admired most along with Sir Mark Prescott whose clever plotting has provided much entertainment.
Haggas, a former assistant to Sir Mark, apparently needed some knocking into shape but his former boss can be proud of what he has achieved.
Only once in the last 11 years has Haggas dipped under 130 winners; he sent out 174 in 2021 and then achieved a new personal best last year with 176 successes.
Moreover, not since 2012 has his strike rate dipped under 19% with excellent results of 25% in 2021/22 and a splendid 27% in 2017.
During this period, horses like Baaeed, Addeybb, Dubai Honour, Al Aasy, One Master and now Almeraq have grabbed multiple victories at a high level.
To achieve all this, Haggas depends on a massive team and not least his hard-working wife Maureen who, after riding out several lots in the morning, sweeping the yard, making breakfast and doing the shopping, heads off to various outposts to represent the stable at the races.
In contrast, her husband is less often seen at the races and takes the view that he is better employed overseeing the yard, though one always imagines the consumption of endless cups of (Yorkshire) tea whilst perusing the Racing Calendar.
I accept that this may be a caricature of the actual events.
While Prescott enjoyed the greatest moment of his career when Alpinista won Sunday's Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 2022, for Haggas the big race is unfinished business.
He doesn't often miss on the big occasion but, in 2018, the biggest one of all got away when the brilliant Sea Of Class, who was bred to win an Arc being a daughter of Sea The Stars out of a mare by Hernando (second in 1994), failed by shrinking inches to win.
After winning two Listed races at Newbury, she had taken giant leaps forward to win the Irish and Yorkshire Oaks so that, on the first Sunday in October, the British bookmakers offered just 6/1 about her chances of beating the mighty Enable in France.
But what transpired that afternoon was one of the great injustices of the turf.
Drawn out wide in stall 15 and on the advice of Haggas's legendary father-in-law Lester Piggott to "drop her out and pray", jockey James Doyle had little choice but to rely on the acceleration that had become his mount's trademark.
Turning for home, Sea Of Class was second last and maybe 15 lengths off the pace but, on straightening, she began to pick up very quickly only to be forced to switch just over a furlong out.
That small momentum stopper proved her undoing as, despite producing a tremendous burst in the dying strides, she couldn't quite catch the tiring Enable.
When Haggas has been asked about the race in the years since, it is clear that what happened that day still hurts and much worse was to come as, after just one start as a four-year-old, Sea Of Class died following surgery.
Now, he has a chance to put the record straight with the Sea The Stars three-year-old Maltese Cross who seems to have got better with every start this season.
When this colt won the Lingfield Derby Trial in May, it was his attitude in out-battling Bay Of Brilliance which really impressed and, at Epsom, he showed the same admirable determination when staying on all the way home behind Christmas Day in wet conditions that probably suited the winner a good deal more.
Later he would turn the tables on the Derby hero in the Sky Bet Great Voltigeur but his brave effort to win the Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc course and distance in-between is probably the most significant form clue.
French races are often run at a slow early gallop resulting in a bunched sprint finish, and Maltese Cross and Tom Marquand found a gap only late on. The way the colt quickened up was impressive and Varandir (fourth) and Alam (third) went on to fight out the Prix Niel on Trials Day.
Then at York, he showed class to match his courage when travelling up smoothly before beating Pierre Bonnard and Christmas Day.
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If you're reading between the lines, it's probably become obvious that I really like this horse. Calling the race at Lingfield, there was just a feeling in my mind that he was going to develop into something much better.
And, in Haggas, he is handled by a past master at improving three-year-olds, just as he did with the unfortunate Sea Of Class eight years ago.
Hopefully, Maltese Cross, who is very stoutly bred, will get a better draw, favourable dry ground and better luck in what is the best and often truest run race in France all year.
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