Maltese Cross has gone from promising maiden to serious Derby player in the space of three runs, and he has done it the traditional way, by winning on the track, not just on paper.
The Sea The Stars colt, trained by 1996 Derby‑winning handler William Haggas, booked his Epsom place by landing the Lingfield Derby Trial in May and brings a profile that ticks a lot of Classic boxes.
With Haggas describing him as a horse who “wants a mile and a half” as a two‑year‑old, and his performances at Newmarket, Newbury and Lingfield backing that up, he now heads to the Derby as one of the most interesting each‑way players in the field.
From Ascot Near‑miss to Newmarket Breakthrough
Maltese Cross first appeared on the radar when just touched off on debut in a 1m Class 2 maiden at Ascot in early September 2025, finishing a neck second to River Card on soft ground.
That effort immediately marked him down as a colt with both ability and attitude, travelling well and only losing out late in testing conditions. Connections wasted no time stepping him up in trip.
He made no mistake next time out. Sent off 13/8 favourite for the Hunters Prestige British EBF Maiden at Newmarket on 25 September 2025, over a mile on good ground, he showed what he had learned from Ascot.
Under Tom Marquand, Maltese Cross was headed up the hill by Del Maro but rallied strongly to get back up and win by a head, staying on powerfully through the line.
Newbury and Lingfield: Trials That Matter
Maltese Cross returned as a three‑year‑old in the Darley EBF Novice Stakes over 1m2f at Newbury on 17 April 2026 and justified strong market support as a 7/4 favourite.
Again partnered by Marquand, he travelled smoothly and found enough in a tight finish to prevail over a competitive field. That win over 1m2f on a more galloping track confirmed he had trained on and could cope with a step up in class.
The real Derby move came next. Haggas sent Maltese Cross to Lingfield for the Derby Trial in May, a race deliberately staged over 1m3½f on a left‑handed, undulating track designed to mimic some of the demands of Epsom.
In a strongly‑run race, Maltese Cross dug in to beat Bay Of Brilliance by a neck, showing both tactical speed to hold a good position and the stamina to see it out up the hill.
That neck victory was enough to “secure his spot in the Epsom Classic”, as Haggas put it, and it was no surprise to see his Derby odds shorten soon after.
Haggas’s Derby Record
William Haggas is not just another trainer turning up with a nice colt; he already knows what it takes to win this race.
He saddled Shaamit to win the Derby in 1996, his very first runner in the Classic, and has been one of the most respected Newmarket trainers for decades since.
His record in British Classics includes the Oaks with Dancing Rain in 2011, and he has consistently produced Group 1 winners at home and abroad. He has also won the Queen Anne Stakes, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Sussex Stakes – all with Baaeed.
That experience shows in the way Maltese Cross has been campaigned. He was not rushed as a juvenile, was given just enough racing to learn his job, and then brought back in the spring over 1m2f before tackling a proper Epsom‑style trial at Lingfield.
It is a methodical, Derby‑focused preparation from a trainer with a clear plan.
Can Maltese Cross Win The Epsom Derby?
Maltese Cross will have to cope with a deep field. Aidan O’Brien’s Benvenuto Cellini brings rock‑solid Ballydoyle Group form and the usual weight of stable confidence.
Andrew Balding’s unbeaten Frankel colt Item comes off a dominant win in the Dante Stakes at York, a race that has long been one of the most trusted Derby pointers.
James J Braddock, representing Joseph O’Brien, has already beaten Pierre Bonnard in the Leopardstown Derby Trial and will attract plenty of support too.
What makes Maltese Cross appealing is that his trial win came over 1m3f on a track designed to expose any balance or stamina flaws, and he passed that test while still looking like a horse with more to come.
He may not have Item’s hype or the Ballydoyle brand behind him, but his profile is almost stubbornly straightforward: progressive, tough, and bred to be at his very best at 1m4f.
Strip away the noise and the bare facts are very simple. Maltese Cross is a Sea The Stars colt with a record of three wins and a second from four starts, including a Lingfield Derby Trial success that guaranteed his place at Epsom.
He is trained by a man who has already won the Derby and the Oaks, and who has deliberately campaigned him with this race in mind.
He has a grounded, thoroughly tested profile built on staying power, attitude and the right sort of experience.
If you are looking for a colt who has quietly done everything asked of him and shaped as though the Derby trip and track will bring out even more, he belongs firmly on your shortlist.
BETFRED
