By Tom Frary
Without a win since his defeat of The Gurkha (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Eclipse S. over 10 furlongs at Sandown in July, Hawkbill relished the return to soft ground and this mile and a half to stamp some authority on this well-contested renewal. Granted a charmed passage through the spring and early summer of his 3-year-old campaign as the adverse weather meant that he encountered his favoured soft ground twice and good-to-soft once when rattling up a sequence of wins in the Listed Newmarket S., G3 Tercentenary S. and Eclipse, the chestnut was eighth on too slick a surface in the G1 Juddmonte International S. Only ninth in Leopardstown's star-studded G1 Irish Champion S. in September and third trying this trip for the first time in the G1 Grosser Preis Von Bayern at Munich in November, he was fifth but beaten only three lengths on his return in the 10 1/2-furlong G1 Prix Ganay at Saint-Cloud May 1.
Sent up to lead after the initial stages by William Buick, he was always comfortable on the front end and when sent clear from early in the straight was quickly out of reach. At the line, he may have been idling instead of tiring as last year's G1 Prince of Wales's S. hero My Dream Boat (Ire) (Lord Shanakill) made some inroads. “Charlie [Appleby] was very positive about going on and making the running, so I let him prick his ears in front,” Buick said. “The Ganay run did him the world of good and he has come forward. It looked like he stayed well there and although it doesn't have to be as soft as it is today, he needs to get his toe in. That's hard work out there, but he's back on track now and I would say he has opened up the mile-and-a-half door for himself now.” His trainer added, “I was pleased with his run in the Ganay, as they went French pace which didn't suit us and he'd definitely come forward for the run. He's in everything from here, but is a better horse with ease in the ground and is one of the few horses who can quicken in it. Therefore, if we are going to compete at the top level it has to be with ease in the ground.”
Hawkbill's love of ease in the ground may come in part from his sire, whose ability to handle rain-afflicted going was evidenced with a win in the 2004 GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational. The dam, the GIII Robert G. Dick Memorial H. runner-up Trensa, is a daughter of the GI Ballerina S. winner Serape who was also responsible for the GIII Vinery Matchmaker S., GIII My Charmer H. and GIII Honey Fox H. scorer Batique (Storm Cat). The latter is responsible for two stakes performers headed by Tejida (Rahy), runner-up in the GIII Bewitch S., GIII All Along S. and GIII The Very One H. The third dam Mochila was in the money in the GI Ruffian H., GI Beldame S. and GI Ladies H. and is a half-sister to the GI Breeders' Cup Mile-winning champion and leading sire Cozzene. Also from the extended family of the GI Ogden Phipps H. heroine Tiz Miz Sue (Tiznow), Trensa has an as-yet unraced 3-year-old filly by Hard Spun named Hard Cloth, a 2-year-old colt by Union Rags named Free Drop Billy and a yearling colt by Curlin. She has been bred to More Than Ready for 2017.
Saturday, Newbury, Britain
AL RAYYAN S. (ASTON PARK S.)-G3, £100,000, NBY, 5-20, 4yo/up, 12fT, 2:42.75, sf.
1–HAWKBILL, 126, c, 4, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Trensa (SW-US, $170,470), by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Serape, by Fappiano
3rd Dam: Mochila, by In Reality
($350,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Godolphin; B-Helen K Groves Revocable Trust (KY); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £56,710. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 9.5-11f, G1SW-Eng & G1SP-Ger, 13-7-0-2, $619,776.[bullet ad=”gainesway-consigned-by”][bullet ad=”eqb-cardioclient”][bullet ad=”us-bred-ky-bred-keen-grad”]Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–My Dream Boat (Ire), 126, h, 5, Lord Shanakill–Betty Burke (GB), by Choisir (Aus). (€4,000 Ylg '13 GOFFEB; €16,000 Ylg '13 GOFSPT; £40,000 2yo '14 DONBRE). O-Paul & Clare Rooney; B-Patrick Monahan (IRE); T-Clive Cox. £21,500.
3–Midterm (GB), 126, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Midday (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). O-Khalid Abdullah; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £10,760.
Margins: 2, 2, HF. Odds: 3.00, 4.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: To Be Wild (Ire), Across The Stars (Ire), Chemical Charge (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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