Maltese Cross will not run in the 2026 St Leger at Doncaster, with trainer William Haggas and owner George Waud instead deciding to aim the colt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.
It is a bold call, especially in the year of the St Leger’s 250th anniversary, but it is also one that makes plenty of sense given what Maltese Cross has already achieved this season.
The three-year-old has gone from promising colt to genuine Group 1 contender in a matter of months. After finishing second in the Derby at Epsom, he went one better in France by winning the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp, before returning to Britain and taking the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York in impressive style.
That York success immediately created a decision for connections.
Maltese Cross looked an obvious St Leger horse, but he also looked good enough to warrant a much bigger target.
St Leger Temptation Was Real
Haggas has made no secret of the fact that the St Leger was seriously considered.
Maltese Cross had already shown that stamina was unlikely to be an issue and, after the Great Voltigeur, he moved towards the head of the Doncaster betting. At one stage he was made favourite for the final British Classic of the season.
The fact that this year marks the 250th running of the St Leger added another layer to the decision.
Haggas said connections were very aware of the history involved and admitted that the Doncaster option was tempting. In the end, however, they felt the extra time between York and the Arc would suit Maltese Cross better.
That means instead of running at Doncaster in September, Maltese Cross can now be prepared specifically for Longchamp on the first Sunday in October.
It is a bigger ask, but also potentially a much bigger prize.
Why the Arc Makes Sense
Maltese Cross already has one major advantage heading towards the Arc.
He has won at Longchamp.
His victory in the Grand Prix de Paris came over the same mile-and-a-half course and distance used for the Arc, which removes one of the usual questions surrounding a young horse being sent to Paris.
He has shown he handles the track, he has shown he stays the distance and he has shown he can win at Group 1 level.
The other important point is his age.
Three-year-olds receive a weight allowance from older horses in the Arc, something that has always made the race attractive to high-class Derby horses later in the season.
Maltese Cross also looks as though he is still improving.
Haggas recently said the colt appears to be getting better with each run, and that view is backed up by what happened at York.
The Great Voltigeur was not simply another win.
Maltese Cross beat Pierre Bonnard by two lengths, with Derby winner Christmas Day back in third, despite carrying a 5lb penalty.
That performance pushed him firmly into the Arc discussion.
A Season That Started Quietly
What makes Maltese Cross particularly interesting is how quickly his career has moved forward.
The son of Sea The Stars began the season winning a novice race at Newbury before progressing rapidly through much stronger company.
He was then second to Christmas Day in the Derby at Epsom, before winning the Grand Prix de Paris and Great Voltigeur.
For a horse who started the year without a Pattern-race victory, that is some rise.
He was bought for 350,000 guineas as a yearling by Sam Haggas and races for film producer George Waud.
The decision to miss the St Leger therefore feels less like avoiding Doncaster and more like connections deciding that their horse may now belong at an even higher level.
What About the Ground at Longchamp?
There is still one obvious concern.
Maltese Cross appears happiest on quicker ground.
Haggas raised that issue earlier in the season when discussing the Arc, saying the colt had run well on soft ground in the Derby but suggesting that very testing conditions at Longchamp might not be ideal.
That is always one of the risks when planning an Arc campaign several weeks in advance.
Longchamp in early October can produce anything from relatively quick autumn ground to properly testing conditions.
Connections cannot control that.
What they can control is how Maltese Cross arrives at the race, and missing the St Leger gives Haggas more time to prepare him specifically for Paris.
Britain’s Leading Arc Hope?
The bookmakers certainly think Maltese Cross deserves to be taken seriously.
Following confirmation that the Arc rather than the St Leger would be his target, he shortened to around 6/1 with several firms.
That puts him among the leading contenders and, at this stage, one of Britain’s strongest hopes.
There is still a long way to go before the Arc field is confirmed, and plenty can change between now and October.
But Maltese Cross already has something many Arc hopefuls do not: proven Group 1 form around Longchamp itself.
The St Leger would have been the more traditional route for a colt with his profile, particularly in such an important anniversary year.
Connections have chosen the harder target instead.
If Maltese Cross can follow his Grand Prix de Paris victory with success in the Arc, nobody will be questioning why they missed Doncaster.
