Back to his roots: Haggas lands third John Smith's Cup with Sinjaari

You can take the man out of Yorkshire but you cannot stop him coming back and plundering their prizes.

William Haggas is from Skipton and fiercely proud of his White Rose roots. Although based in Newmarket, he likes nothing more than returning home to triumph at York and he targets the John Smith's Cup every year.

And the trainer hit the bullseye for the third time in nine years as Sinjaari finished strongly under Stevie Donohoe to head 66-1 shot Certain Lad in the final half-furlong and score by a length.

Watch Sinjaari swoop late in the John Smith's Cup

"It's just great to win this race with him," Haggas said, "It's a great race, a race we try to find one for every year."

His wife Maureen added: "We've been lucky in this race and it's a nice race to win. William loves having winners at York and why not, it's a beautiful track."

Like Haggas's previous winners Green Destiny and Danchai, Sinjaari is a four-year-old who was signalling himself firmly on the up.

Unlike that pair, he was having a belated first run of the season and had also gone off the boil after a fine second to Headman in the London Gold Cup at Newbury last year.

"I'm thrilled to bits he's come back to himself as he lost his way last spring having looked a bit useful," said Haggas, who also took the mile novice event with the promising My Oberon. "What he loved today was the fast pace and I'm sure he appreciated the drop of rain.

"I'm not sure what happened last season. I gave the jockey the wrong instructions at Royal Ascot and after that he wasn't the same.

"We had him gelded but not because he was naughty in any way, he's a lovely horse. I wasn't sure he was coming to himself in time but in the last two weeks I thought we were getting there."

William Haggas: always enjoys a York winnerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Donohoe was delighted to ride just his second winner for Haggas and said: "He loved the ground and saw his race out really well.

"It's a John Smith's Cup and it was tricky enough but once he got some room up the straight he put it to bed. We were tapped for toe early but then he came alight. He's a very kind horse and has a really good attitude."

Green Destiny went on to become a Group horse but Haggas has yet to form a plan for Sinjaari.

"I wouldn't know where we'd go with him," the trainer said. "I won't go back over a mile and a half, though, what he wants is a fast pace over ten furlongs.

"I'm a bit taken aback by that to be honest to be thinking of what next."

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