William Haggas on War footing for Royal Ascot
War Department earned himself a place among William Haggas’ Royal Ascot squad with a most impressive racecourse debut at Leicester.
The son of Frozen Power was a 9/2 chance for the first division of the ebfstallions.com Maiden Stakes and showed a smart change of gear in the last of the six furlongs to put the race to bed.
King’s Pavilion was four and a half lengths away in second, with Thaqaffa the same distance further back in third.
It was the third previously unraced horse to win on the afternoon for Haggas, following a double at Lingfield, and he confirmed this juvenile was bound for the Royal meeting next month.
“I haven’t been training him, he’s a breeze-up horse. If I had been training him a long time he wouldn’t have run as straight as that!” the trainer told At The Races. “He’s a lovely looking horse and his work has been OK.
“He cost 160,000 (guineas), but he looks worth it. He has a nice head on him, which is important.
“He was great today and you couldn’t fail to be impressed, so we can dream a bit.
“It (Royal Ascot) is the greatest meeting in the world and Bill Gredley (part-owner) is 82.
“He wants to dream and if the horse is well, we will be there.”