Waud brings Maltese Cross to Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe after Snakes On A Plane era
Three days before the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at the Bois de Boulogne on the first Sunday in October, film producer George Waud will send out his colt Maltese Cross as the race's second favourite. Waud conceded he is not a typical owner and said: "No," and "And for that reason, I’m making the most of it."
Waud's route to the Arc is non-traditional: the backstory starts in London, includes 23 years in Los Angeles and a co-producer credit on the award-winning revival of Cabaret in London’s West End. He traces his early exposure to racing to a childhood visit to Newmarket: "As a child, my mother was married to a man who made trophies," he says, "and a lot of his clients came from racing, so they went racing a lot. I probably went racing for the first time when I was six or seven years old and there was just something about it I really, really liked."
In his mid-20s Waud moved to California to pursue film work and began at the bottom of the script pipeline as a reader before progressing to roles that put him inside major studios. He recalled a weekend habit of attending Hollywood Park ("It’s gone now [demolished to make way for So-Fi Stadium]"), and the time in Los Angeles provided the context in which he started to invest in racehorses.
Waud describes a career-defining moment at New Line Cinema when he was handed a box of scripts and was drawn immediately to Snakes On A Plane by its title. The project became notable for its unusual marketing: "It was the first film that attracted a relationship with the audience through the internet. People were making their own merchandise, which is a big no-no normally. Most studios would shut people for making merchandise and selling it, but we took a different view and encouraged them. It all became part of a new way to market a film." Samuel L Jackson signed to star without reading the script, according to the account.
His involvement in racing dates back to taking a share in Society's Chairman around the time of Snakes On A Plane; Society's Chairman did not race at two, three or four but went on to perform at Group-race level and finished with a run in the Breeders' Cup Mile in 2010. After returning to the UK in 2014, Waud's bloodstock purchases have been handled by Sam Haggas, who is described as the agent who buys all his horses and is also the son of Maltese Cross's trainer, William Haggas.
Maltese Cross arrives at the Arc with form that includes a second-place finish in the Derby from a difficult draw and a narrow win in the Group One Grand Prix de Paris over the Arc's track and trip despite a troubled run in the straight. Waud recalled jockey Tom Marquand's reaction: "Tom Marquand [Maltese Cross’s jockey] had always felt that he had another gear, but just hadn’t felt him go into it," and said, "He has improved all year and we’re still not sure where his ceiling is. I guess we’re about to find out." Waud also relayed Marquand's on-the-day comment: 'I found the gear'.
Alongside the Arc narrative, the piece notes other immediate racing markets: Blue Bolt is likely to start around 1-2 for the Group One Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, and the £180,000 seven-furlong handicap at Ascot is expected to attract punter interest on Saturday. Richard Spencer’s Hawksbill (3.35) is suggested as an each-way alternative to the favourite Thunder Call at odds of around 25-1, with form details including a close second over a mile at Ayr on heavy ground and versatility across different surfaces.
Maltese Cross is set to contest the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at the Bois de Boulogne on Sunday, providing Waud and his connections a high-profile next step to test the colt's progression and to measure him against Europe's leading middle-distance contenders.