Honest approach helps Haggas in quest to fulfil sponsor's Derby dream

Honesty being the best policy may help William Haggas deliver a dream Derby success for Bernard Kantor, the co-founder and managing director of sponsors Investec.

The pair teamed up more than 20 years ago and if Young Rascal triumphs at Epsom on Saturday week it will be a fairytale victory - not least because of how their alliance began.

Haggas revealed at Epsom on Tuesday: “There was a marvellous man called Laurie Jaffee who had a horse called London News. He was the first horse to come out of South Africa (and compete in England) and Laurie offered him to us for 90 days with the intention of running him at Royal Ascot.

“At the time I had only 30 horses and said 'yes, absolutely'. But then our horses went wrong and after London News won in Hong Kong (the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in late April) he rang me again and I said “Mr Jaffee, I’m really sorry to say this but I can’t take this horse. My horses are wrong and I’d hate him to get whatever they’ve got.”

Jaffee instead sent London News to Barry Hills. The colt went off 10-1 for the Prince of Wales’s Stakes and finished third to Bosra Sham but Haggas’s truthfulness had not been lost on the owner.

“Bernard came to London to set up Investec in England from South Africa,” Haggas continued. “He knew Laurie well and Laurie said ‘if you ever have horses in training, have them with him’. And that’s how it started, thank God.”

Kantor, 68, has enjoyed success all around the world with his horses - he once had three winners in three continents on the same day - but his quest for the past two decades has been to find a Derby contender. Finally, in Young Rascal, he has one.

The battling Chester Vase winner had a gentle spin around Epsom on Tuesday and Haggas believes he is getting better all the time.

Bookmakers make him a general 12-1 chance with only Saxon Warrior, the 2,000 Guineas winner, and Roaring Lion, the emphatic Dante victor, preferred to him in the betting.

“Bernard has spent the last ten years watching me squirm every time I’ve had a runner (at Epsom) and I’m going to be watching him this year because this is going to get him big time if we can get the horse in top shape for the day,” Haggas said.

Haggas, left, looks admiringly at Young Rascal after his Chester Vase success (Racingfotos)

“It’s his company’s race and this is his passion, so naturally we’ve always tried to get him a horse for the Derby. If he was buying a yearling through Anthony Stroud, he was always looking for something to win the Derby or run well in it.

“I stood with him when Dancing Rain won the Oaks (in 2011) and he presented the trophies and it was a golden moment for me.

“Bernard has been a good friend of mine for a long time. I’ve trained for him for 22 years and to be able to produce a horse in top shape for Derby day would be very special.”

Kantor has enjoyed Derby success once before as he was a member of the Royal Ascot Racing Club, which owned the 2005 winner Motivator.

This, though, is very different with Young Rascal running in his familiar yellow silks with blue epaulettes.

When asked for his assessment of the colt’s chances at Breakfast With The Stars, hes eemed unwilling to to tempt fate. There is, after all, 11 days before the premier Classic and plenty that can still go wrong.

“I’m not going there, sir,” he said, when pressed by interviewer Oli Bell.

Haggas, seeking a second Derby win after the victory of Shaamit in 1996, was more forthcoming: “I really like him and think he’s going to run a really good race. He surprised me at Newbury with how easily he won, stepped forwards at Chester and is making great strides.

“He was bred by Mrs (Andre) Fabre and the only conversations I have with Monsieur Fabre are about Young Rascal. I told him at the Craven meeting that I thought he was slow. He’s got quicker now!”

Earlier, Aidan O’Brien had been interviewed by telephone and revealed that Saxon Warrior, the general 8-11 favourite, was likely to be joined by four or five stablemates.

The master of Ballydoyle is chasing a record-equalling seventh Derby triumph and Haggas is among those in awe of him.

Saxon Warrior preserved his unbeaten record in the 2,000 Guineas (Racingfotos)

“What Aidan’s achieved is unbelievably remarkable,” he said. “He’s got some people who support him wholeheartedly (but) I think he runs the show completely and he’s done a brilliant job. He delivers year after year, is very hard to beat and is feared wherever he goes.

“Everyone in the country was impressed by Saxon Warrior in the Guineas. He did it at two, has got lots of experience, lots of stamina and is related closely on the dam’s side to Dancing Brave who stayed well.

“He’s an obvious horse but you can never be frightened of one. Nobody saw Wings Of Eagles coming, did they?”

And, of course, there is the unspoken possibility of a bug in the yard. Just occasionally, such travails can bring a happy ending.

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