Maltese Cross lunged past the line in the final strides to claim William Haggas’ first Grand Prix de Paris, delivering a late surge that turned adversity into triumph at ParisLongchamp. The son of Sea The Stars, beaten in the Epsom Derby just weeks earlier, reversed his fortunes with a gutsy finish under Tom Marquand, completing a British one-two after Ancient Egypt led deep into the straight.
A race of shifting fortunes
Ancient Egypt, a 22-1 outsider, looked set to spring a shock after Causeway’s front-running challenge faded and the leader seized control approaching the three-furlong pole. But Maltese Cross, boxed in against the inside rail and repeatedly denied clear running, found no escape until the final furlong. A narrow gap opened, and Marquand guided the colt through with a burst of acceleration that left Ancient Egypt struggling to respond. The margin was razor-thin—just a short head—enough to edge past the tiring leader in the final strides.
The finish order confirmed the strength of the field: Alam, trained by Mikel Dezangles, held on for third, a neck behind Ancient Egypt, while Varandir, from Francis-Henri Graffard’s yard, completed the top four a head further back. The result marked the first British victory in the Grand Prix de Paris since Hurricane Lane in 2021, a statistic that underscored the competitiveness of the contest.
Haggas’ long-awaited breakthrough
For Haggas, whose Somerville Lodge stable has produced top-level winners across Europe, the Grand Prix de Paris had remained elusive—until now. Assistant trainer Maureen Haggas, visibly emotional after the race, praised Maltese Cross’s resilience. “He does like something to aim at and he will squirm through a little hole, which he had to do today,” she said. “He’s tough and obviously got a really strong will to win, which is one of his greatest attributes.”
The victory came despite the colt’s unenviable position in-running, repeatedly blocked by rivals and forced to switch off the inside rail. Yet his ability to manufacture a winning move in the tightest of spaces highlighted both his class and Marquand’s patience in waiting for the right moment to strike.
What comes next for Maltese Cross
The question now is whether this Group One success will propel Maltese Cross towards bigger targets in the autumn. His Derby defeat earlier this season proved he could compete at the highest level, and his performance in Paris suggests he remains on an upward curve. With Haggas’ yard renowned for developing late-maturing colts, the colt’s future looks promising—though no specific plans have been confirmed.
For now, the focus is on celebrating a hard-fought triumph in one of Europe’s most prestigious staying races. Maltese Cross has answered critics who doubted his ability to handle the demands of top-level competition, and his victory at ParisLongchamp will be remembered as the day a colt with a knack for trouble turned it into triumph.
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