Hamish shows plenty of heart for Tapster triumph

Popular veteran Hamish proved the fire still burns bright by coming out on top in a thrilling three-way tussle for the BetGoodwin Tapster Stakes at Goodwood.

The William Haggas-trained gelding had won 12 of his 24 previous starts, with eight of those victories coming at Group Three level.

Making his first appearance as a nine-year-old, having been off the track since landing a Listed prize at the Curragh in November, Hamish was an even-money favourite in the hands of Tom Marquand and while he proved difficult to handle before the off, he was as his usual professional self during the race itself.

German Derby winner Palladium, making his first appearance for John and Thady Gosden after winning his only start over hurdles for Nicky Henderson, put up a bold show from the front, while his stablemate Military Academy was also right in there pitching in the closing stages of the mile-and-a-half Listed contest.

"What a superstar!" @HuntyCaller 🤩

9-year-old Hamish gets his head in front once again for the Somerville Lodge team! 🙌@WilliamHaggas | @TomMarquand pic.twitter.com/d3wtRFwSM1

— Goodwood Racecourse (@Goodwood_Races) June 8, 2025

There was little to choose between the Gosden pair and Hamish racing inside the last half-furlong, but it was the latter who found most for pressure in the rain-softened ground to prevail by a neck from Military Academy, with Palladium just a head further behind in third.

On his pre-race antics, Maureen Haggas, assistant to her husband, told Racing TV: “He sat on a car the other day, apparently! I was away for a day, ‘Tinks’ (Andrew Tinkler) rode him and he was very apologetic the next day that he’d wrapped him around a car and a gate post!

“We introduced a pony after he ran at Goodwood two years ago and he’s been pretty good everywhere until today, where he was absolutely appalling again! The tack fell off about four times, eventually we managed to get it on and keep it on and once he was moving he was fine.

“He was pretty naughty at the start, but he has been crying out for a race for a long time and he needs soft ground. He’s been ready to go since the John Porter which was the middle of April, so he’s just pretty bored now and needed a day out.”

She added: “He’s not the easiest at home in that he can only go certain places, so you can’t even vary his exercise because there’s only two canters that he will ever go on. He likes routine, but he has got a little bit bored and he’s not the sort you can take for a day out either as that blows his brains.

“He still feels great. I ride him every day and he doesn’t feel like a nine-year-old, just the last two weeks you can see him looking at me saying ‘what on earth are we doing this for’. It’s good he’s had a day out to remind him what it’s all about.”

The Owen Burrows-trained Waardah (7-1) powered clear to claim top honours in the other Listed race on the card – the Weatherbys/British EBF Agnes Keyser Fillies’ Stakes.

The three-year-old won on her Sandown debut in September and while she had since finished out of the places at Newmarket and Southwell, she looked to relish this step up to a mile and a quarter, finishing strongly under Callum Rodriguez to seal a two-and-three-quarter-length verdict.

Burrows said: “She’s always been a filly we liked and hoped she could do something like that.

“I’ll be honest, I half pencilled her in for Sandown next week in a handicap, but I saw the forecast and thought it would be worth giving her an entry in this and luckily the rain came.

“I think soft ground is probably important to her. She won first time up last year on soft ground and didn’t run bad over a mile next time when she didn’t really handle Newmarket’s undulations.

“Coming to somewhere like here, that is always in the back of your mind, but she relaxed well and got into a nice rhythm and I thought the further she was going the better and if anything Callum said he struggled to pull her up, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we go a bit further again at some stage.

“We’ll just have to see what our summer weather does, but she’s certainly one that going into the autumn we should have a bit of fun with.”