SOMERVILLE LODGE
WILLIAM HAGGAS

Seven Time Classic-winning trainer, William Haggas is one of the most respected trainers in the headquarters of British racing in Newmarket. William spent time with John Winter and Sir Mark Prescott before taking out his own license and training his first winner - Tricky Note (15th April 1987) - from his Somerville Lodge base where he has been since 1987.

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Since then, over 2,000 winners have emerged from the yard with the 2021 season being his most successful campaign - both numerically and prize money - to date with 180 winners for the year, surpassing 2017's previous record tally of 160 winners, amassing an incredible £6,500,000 in prize money.

 

2022 was yet another tremednous year for Somerville Lodge with 170 winners including Six Group 1's across three countries, courtesy of Baaeed, who captured the Lockinge, Queen Anne, Sussex Stakes and Juddmonte International and confirmed himself as one of the greats of the modern era. 2021 Royal Ascot Winner, Alenquer, landed his first victory at the highest level in a battling display in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and Sea La Rosa, rounded off a terrific campaign when scoring in the Prix de la Royallieu on Arc weekend. Other notable success came with Lilac Road, who was victorious at Group 2 level in the Middleton Stakes at York and Addeybb who rounded off his incredible career with another Group 2 win over in France in the Prix Conseil de Paris. Maljoom added another International Classic to William's CV when powering home in the German 2,000 Guineas and looks to be another exciting horse for 2023. We also added to our Royal Ascot tally in 2022 with victories for Baaeed in the Queen Anne Stakes and Candleford in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap. 2022 has yielded 170 winners, 36 Stakes winners and over £5,000,000 in prize money and hopefully there is more to come in 2023!

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In 2011 William, who is married to Maureen, daughter of the late great Lester Piggott, became a member of the elite band of trainers to have saddled two Epsom Classic winners when Dancing Rain made all in the Oaks to add to Shaamit’s 1996 Derby victory. William's other Group 1 successes include Mukhadram (Coral Eclipse), Rivet (Racing Post Trophy), Urban Fox (Pretty Polly), Sea of Class (Yorkshire Oaks & Irish Oaks) and One Master (2018, 2019 & 2020 Prix de la Foret).

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William and Maureen have two children. Maryanne who married Adam Peacock in the summer of 2019 and William and Maureen are delighted that the couple had their first child, Rafa, in August 2020 and Maryanne gave birth to their daughter Ayla in May 2022. Sam Haggas has successfully launched his own bloodstock agency, Hurworth Bloodstock. Sam's successes included the purchases of Group 1 Winner Urban Fox, Group 3 winner Miss O Connor and American Grade 3 winner I'm So Fancy. (www.hurworthbloodstock.com)