William Haggas launches double bid to win York’s Juddmonte International with Mohaafeth and Alenquer

Nothing gives the Yorkshire -born trainer more pleasure than saddling winners on the Knavesmire – he continues to regard the Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival as his favourite meeting of the year.

And while the big race chances of Mohaafeth and Alenquer have been enhanced by the unexpected absence of Aidan O’Brien’s St Mark’s Basilica, both will need career-best performances to prevail.

Part of the Qipco British Champions series, the 2020 renewal of the Juddmonte was – on official ratings – the best Flat race in the world and tomorrow’s renewal is every bit as competitive and compelling.

It comes after O’Brien chose to reroute Love, victorious in last year’s Darley Yorkshire Oaks, to the Knavesmire after St Mark’s Basilica, the season’s leading three-year-old, suffered a minor gallops injury.

Yet, while Mohaafeth and Alenquer are well-regarded horses at the Haggas stables which excels in top-quality middle-distance races, both also have reputations to rebuild following their most recent respective runs.

Forced out of the Epsom Derby by unexpectedly soft ground, Mohaafeth won Royal Ascot’s Hampton Court Stakes before finishing third in the Sky Bet York Stakes in a race described by the trainer as “a balls up, from start to finish”.

Meanwhile Alenquer, whose King Edward VII Stakes win at Royal Ascot under Tom Marquand, was, according to the trainer “way far too back” when third to Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane in the Grand Prix de Paris.

Elaborating on Mohaafeth’s York defeat under Jim Crowley, Haggas said: “The pacemaker went too slow and Jim [Crowley] was too far back. It was a mess, and you can put a line through it.

“Angus [Gold, of owners the Shadwell Stud] felt that if you ignore that run and concentrated on the good bits he was well worth his chance here.

“The trip is fine and the ground should be okay too, although I think there’s some rain about on Tuesday. He’s got a bit to find but he’s useful.”

Alenquer, who beat subsequent Cazoo Derby hero Adayar at Sandown earlier in the season, had been prominent in betting for next month’s St Leger at Doncaster.

But the domestic final Classic of the season has effectively been ruled out and he runs here in preference to the Great Voltigeur Stakes, which takes place 35 minutes before the Juddmonte.

“The owners felt that as he had already won a Group Two (King Edward VII Stakes) there was no point running in another one. They want to test him against the best, and he’s very well,” said Haggas.

“He’s improving, and again you can put a line through his latest run at Longchamp as he was way too far back and never got into it at all.

“I don’t think he’s the soft or heavy ground horse that some have him down as, but he might just want a bit further. He’s not a bad horse.”

He added: “It’s an ambitious route for both horses, but they’ll both run a good race. Whether they are good enough is another matter.”

While Mohaafeth and Alenquer have to prove their class, it’s stamina that is potentially the issue with Andrew Balding’s triple Group One winner Alcohol Free.

Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has partnered Alcohol Free to all of her wins and a fourth Group One would equal his tally on the brilliant Roaring Lion, on whom he won the 2018 Juddmonte.

The new favourite is John and Thady Gosden’s Mishriff, winner of two big Group One races in the Middle East earlier in the year under David Egan while in-form Hambleton trainer Kevin Ryan saddles the outsider Juan Elcano.

Meanwhile, veteran Irish trainer Jim Bolger saddles Mac Swiney exactly 40 years after Condessa provided him with his first British Group-race success in the 1981 Yorkshire Oaks.

Bolger has yet to win the Juddmonte International – the feature race on the opening day of the celebrated Ebor Festival – but he believes Mac Swiney is flying under the radar ahead of his latest assignment.

Winner of the Group One Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster last October, the colt then won this season’s Irish 2000 Guineas before finishing sixth to the aforementioned Hurricane Lane in the Irish Derby.

“I won’t be underestimating him, anyway. He’s a very good do-er, so he doesn’t get a lot of time out,” said Bolger.

“In any case, he’s very well, so I’m happy with him.

“We’re hopeful that going back to a mile and a quarter will bring out the best in him.”