Tenability leads Haggas one-two in Tapster Stakes

William Haggas won the Tapster Stakes for the second year running with Tenability claiming the scalp of stablemate and defending champion Hamish at Goodwood.

Tenability was sent off the 11-10 favourite in the hands of Cieren Fallon, with the backers fancying the Listed contest to signal a handing over of the baton between the two Somerville Lodge inmates.

However, evergreen stalwart Hamish kept his younger rival honest throughout, even rallying late on when headed under Tom Marquand, with the margin of success for the four-year-old Tenability only a neck.

Haggas said: “He’s doing well Tenability, he won a stakes race now and is a useful horse who is versatile and goes on any ground.

“I would like to try him over a mile and a quarter one day because I think he will be quite interesting coming back in trip. I’m not convinced he’s a real mile and a half horse, but we will see.

“He was always doing plenty today, not overracing, but I think the pace of a mile-and-a-quarter race wouldn’t bother him. I’ll have to have a look at the programme book.”

While looking forward to the future with Tenability, who was continuing the rapid rise he took through the ranks with four straight victories last term following an encouraging third in the John Porter, Haggas was also delighted by the performance of the runner-up.

The soft-ground loving 10-year-old was having to concede a 5lb penalty to his stablemate six years his junior and the handler feels that ultimately could have been the difference given such a narrow verdict at the finish.

“Hamish was great today again and ran a good race,” Haggas added. “The ground is probably drying a bit quickly for him and they felt it was very tacky today and not sloshy soft which he loves.

“I think the 5lb penalty cost him the race, but that’s what happens when you run a Group horse in a Listed race and it’s probably not helped him today, but I’m still pleased with how he ran.”

He went on: “While Tenability is versatile and I’ve had this race in mind for ages with him.

“The problem with Hamish is he can only run on the soft. If there is another one of ours in this in the race and it comes up soft then they both have to run, it’s that simple.

“Obviously we like to keep them apart, but you can’t guarantee you are going to get Hamish’s ground so you have to run him where the ground is and if it’s a suitable race then it’s a bonus. He has to run on soft ground.”

There was also a close finish to the other Listed action on the Sussex Downs, with Ralph Beckett’s Venetia shading the Listed Weatherbys/British EBF Agnes Keyser Fillies’ Stakes by a short head.