Dubai: William Haggas knows what it feels like to win a Classic and in all-weather champion Ertijaal he appears to have a legitimate chance of reliving that experience at Newmarket on Saturday.
The former Epsom Derby and Epsom Oaks-winning handler saddles Ertijaal in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas, the first of five British Classics, as he bid to win the colt’s Classic for the first time.
Owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, Ertijaal faces 16 rivals, including two other horses with Dubai connections — Godolphin’s Outstrip and the Saeed Manana-owned Night of Thunder.
A Shadwell homebred by Oasis Dream, Ertijaal recorded an impressive victory in the 3 Year Old Championships Conditions Stakes on the final day of the All-Weather Championships at Lingfield, England, which was intended as his prep for the Guineas.
Last month, Haggas, who won the Epsom Classic in 1996 with Shaamit and the Oaks with Dancing Rain (2011), saddled Mukhadram to finish a creditable second in the $10 million (Dh36.72 million) Dubai World Cup (G1).
Meanwhile, businessman Saeed Manana, who has won top races such as the Group 1 Coronation Cup and Group 1 Falmouth Stakes, will be hoping that Night of Thunder can provide him with his first Classic success.
Night of Thunder finished a well-beaten second to Kingman in the Group 3 Greenham Stakes at Newbury earlier this month, but his trainer Richard Hannon believes he will have benefitted a lot from that effort.
“I thought he ran an exceptional race. Richard Hughes said before the race that he thought he was very fit. I thought he’d definitely improve from it,” Manana’s representative Bruce Hobbs said after the race.
“The winner had everything his way, though. He will improve [for his first run of the year]. All ours improve.”
