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Maureen Haggas, a frequent stable rep for her husband at the track, didn’t hold back on Racing TV overnight (Australian time) when asked about the welfare of the two horses they sent Down Under – Sam Hawkens and Lake Forest. Watch live coverage of the 2025 Spring Racing Carnival events with Racing.com available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Lake Forest came last in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Randwick last weekend. “As far as I’m concerned, Lake Forest never had a race,” Haggas began before things quickly went nuclear. “It was about the worst ride I’ve seen in my entire life. “I was appalled, absolutely appalled. “We went all that way, and – I mean I don’t know Zac Purton at all – but he was just dreadful. So disappointing. Watch Maureen Haggas’ savage comments and the end of the race in the video above “Everyone knows he’s a horse you have to … tell him he’s got to do it. “And he (Purton) knew that, he was told it, and he just sat there, like a big sissy. I was horrified. “We’d gone all that way at that huge expense on the owners’ part … it just makes you realise how lucky we are with the jockeys we have in England, Ireland and France, when you compare them to the rides we got on Saturday which were really shockingly awful.” Note the plural in that last quote – James McDonald was aboard Sam Hawkens in the St Leger earlier on the card, leading at a slow tempo but unable to pick-up when finishing 7th of 10. Jockey hits back “She must have been on the drink,” Purton said in a fiery response to Mrs Haggas’ comments on Thursday. “I thank her for her advice. I haven’t had time to watch the replay yet because I’ve been too busy watching replays myself win the $20 million TAB Everest,” he said. “I followed Ceowulf, who went on to win the race. I thought he’s not too bad a horse to be following and then he put seven lengths on me. My horse just went up and down in the one spot, he gave me no response at all. “I’m a bit bemused at her take on the race but she’s entitled to that, no problem. “But where she probably went a little bit too far was by dragging James McDonald into it as well. He’s currently the world’s best jockey and she said we both gave really, shockingly awful rides. “She’s probably had a day on the drink.” Lake Forest had won the $10 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill last November with British jockey Cieren Fallon riding him then. Purton won The Everest aboard Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising to win the $20 million showpiece race at Randwick. Incidentally, Purton brought up his 1900th Hong Kong winner on Wednesday. Haggas’ spiel came not long after husband William had some strong thoughts on the riding of Oisín Murphy, claiming a few days ago that he’d “got away with blue murder” in relation to some riding incidents. This article originally appeared on Punters.com.au and was reproduced with permission.
