Trainer William Haggas keen for Aussie return

Lake Forest missed the race that was to test his Golden Eagle credentials at York on Saturday, but William Haggas remains hopeful of being in Australia this spring.

And it is not just Sydney features that the canny English trainer has his eyes on.

Haggas said genuine consideration is being given to an attack on the Caulfield Cup with Galileo entire Klondike.

A Northern Hemisphere four-year-old, Klondike was Haggas’ lone entry for the $5 million Group 1 over 2400m at Caulfield on October 19 and is scheduled to undergo Racing Victoria’s veterinary testing on September 9 before potentially entering quarantine three days later.

“I’m always keen to come to Australia if we can and this is a nice, good, staying horse who likes fast ground, so he’s got the right profile,” Haggas said from York at the weekend.

Klondike has had eight starts for three wins, the most recent coming in the Group 3 Prix De Reux (2500m) at Deauville on August 3.

Haggas considers Klondike more suited to the Caulfield Cup than the $8 million Melbourne Cup (3200m), entries for which close next Tuesday.

Haggas has not had a runner in Victoria since the spring of 2019 when Raheen House was unplaced in the Herbert Power Stakes and Bendigo Cup.

He has enjoyed great success in Sydney in the interim, via the likes of Addeybb and Dubai Honour, and has not closed the door on a start in the $10 million Golden Eagle with Lake Forest even after last weekend’s late scratching after playing up in the barriers.

The son of No Nay Never was a late scratching from the Group 2 City Of York Stakes (1408m), which was to be the first start beyond six furlongs (1207m) for the colt who has won two of his seven starts and was runner-up in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in June.

“Lake Forest was running here to see if he’d get seven-and-a-half (furlongs) for the Golden Eagle and then he got his leg over the stalls and couldn’t run,” Haggas said.

“He’s the one I’d like to run in Sydney on November 2nd.

“We’ll run at Doncaster now in the Park Stakes. Quarantine doesn’t start until the end of September, so he’ll go for a seven-furlong race at Doncaster.”

This year’s Group 2 Park Stakes (1414m) will be run on September 14.