‘He’s a horse on the improve and it is hard to know where his ceiling might be at’ – Haggas’ Sam Hawkens set for St Leger Stakes date at Randwick
Progressive European four-year-old Sam Hawkens (Galileo) will be aimed at Randwick’s St Leger Stakes (2600m) on October 18 after the gelding secured his third win on the bounce in a handicap at Glorious Goodwood last weekend.
Trained by William Haggas, who Australian readers will be well acquainted with, the son of Coolmore’s late super sire Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) has proved a revelation since being gelded and sent handicapping in 2025.
A fourth-placed effort at Ripon in April has been followed up by wins at Newcastle, Hamilton and then Goodwood last time out on August 2 – scoring by a half-length in the latter contest over one mile and six furlongs.
Purchased by William and his wife Maureen’s son Sam – who runs his own successful bloodstock agency Hurworth Bloodstock – for 105,000gns from Coolmore associate Westerberg and former trainer Richard Hannon during the Tattersalls Online July Sale in 2024, Sam Hawkens has already repaid his purchase price with £106,959 in prize-money earned and he will be aiming to plunder more riches in Australia.
“I bought him on an online sale so he wasn’t a horse I was able to have a look at,” Sam Haggas told ANZ News.
“However, he had the right profile as a lightly raced horse and by an extraordinary stallion in Galileo. There was only a finite of Galileo’s left and as it is with so many of them they improve with age and stay well.
“I didn’t think the horse had done a lot wrong [in his five previous starts] and I thought his form was solid and around pretty useful horses. He looked to have much more to offer, especially with a view to gelding him.”
Having slightly failed to fire in his opening two starts for his new trainer, Sam Hawkens has improved out of all recognition since returning as a four-year-old gelding.
“I think it has been a combination of another winter on his back and the gelding operation,” Sam Haggas said of the gelding’s improved form.
“He ran a good first race at the Shergar Cup last year and his last start in 2024 was on heavy ground and he never really got into a rhythm.”
Sam Hawkens’ latest victory at Goodwood has seen him raised a total of three pounds by the British handicapper to a BHA rating of 95, a mark that Haggas feels could still be lenient.
“It’s an interesting one because he won well at Newcastle off a good gallop, whereas Hamilton and Goodwood as far as I know weren’t strong pace races,” he said.
“It was interesting that he won both of those races with his ears pricked and looked like he wasn’t actually in top gear.
“He looked like he had more to offer and it’s hard for the handicapper to give them too much of a rise when they’re not winning by far.
“Having been raised three pounds for that Goodwood win he looks like he is still on a nice mark so he’s a nice horse in the sense that he’s doing just enough, but in the way you’d like them to.”
Doing ‘just enough’ is a good description of Sam Hawkens’ three wins in the care of Newmarket-based William Haggas, with the trio of successes coming by an aggregate of just two and a half lengths.
After his exploits at the Sussex track, the four-year-old is seriously being considered for a crack at the St Leger Stakes on Randwick’s Everest day card in October – a $500,000 contest that has been won by European imports for the last two seasons in the shape of Athabascan (Almanzor) and Land Legend (Galileo).
Sam Haggas also revealed that his father has a couple of other horses pencilled in for a possible trip Down Under.
Last year’s Golden Eagle (1500m) winner Lake Forest (No Nay Never) is being targeted at a return to Sydney, while rapid handicap improver and Royal Ascot runner-up Bullet Point (Advertise) looks one for the $2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill on November 8.
“It’s kind of William’s call on that front but after Hamilton we started to think he [Sam Hawkens] could potentially have a crack at something in Australia,” Sam Haggas said.
“As far as I know, he [William] has a couple of other horses pencilled in for potential trips to Sydney later this year.
“I think Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest might be a possible to go back for a race or two, while he also has a four-year-old called Bullet Point that is just improving with every start since switching to handicaps.
“He could be aimed at the Five Diamonds over 1800 metres which is for southern hemisphere five-year-olds and northern hemisphere four-year-olds.
“So I think he [William] just had a couple of horses in mind for going Down Under and thought there’s a nice race there in the St Leger Stakes at Randwick that could really suit Sam Hawkens.
“It’s a very valuable race. He’s a horse on the improve and it is hard to know where his ceiling might be at, so it’s a great race to have a crack at really.”
As for whether Sam Hawkens is a horse that will be suited to Australian racing, Haggas feels the gelding’s ability to stay well could even see him turn into a cups horse later down the line – even if not in 2025.
“I’d like to think he is well suited to it, he obviously stays well so he is probably a cups horse more than anything else,” Haggas said.
“He’s a pretty honest and genuine horse who looks uncomplicated. He’s got a way to go to be in line for these good cup races, but he is progressing and it’s good to see him turn a corner.”