Only established in its current guise in 2002 and now firmly entrenched as a feature part of Royal Ascot, the G3 Tercentenary S. has two subsequent Group 1 winners on its honour roll in Glass Harmonium (Ire) (Verglas {Ire}) and Cannock Chase (Lemon Drop Kid), and another who is surely only in-waiting in last year's scorer Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). It is no coincidence that the two top-level winners were trained by British racing's overlord Sir Michael Stoute, and he supplies the likely favourite here in Al Shaqab's Abdon (GB) (Cacique {Ire}). A son of the G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Kinnaird (Ire) (Dr Devious {Ire}), he scored with a touch of style on his sole juvenile start at Newbury in August and was second to the re-opposing Hawkbill (Kitten's Joy) on his next outing in the Listed Newmarket S. over this trip Apr. 30. With less to prove than his Chester maiden-winning stablemate Mulk (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), another son of a Group 1 winner in the Fillies Mile and Coronation S. winner Nannina (GB) (Medicean {GB}), he has strong claims with his pedigree suggesting improvement with time and experience.
Hawkbill's win at Newmarket was no fluke, as he had previously beaten the subsequent May 21 Listed Fairway S. winner Steel of Madrid (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in a Kempton conditions event over a mile Sept. 8 and he is arguably the best of the three that sport the Godolphin silks. “Hawkbill was impressive in his first run back this season when winning the Newmarket S.,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “He handled the good-to-soft conditions then and has come out of the race well. He goes into the race in good order, although extreme ground conditions would be an unknown.” Qatar Racing's Blue de Vega (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is forced to carry a penalty as a result of his win in the G3 Killavullan S. over seven furlongs at Leopardstown in October and brings Classic form to the mix, having been third behind Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh May 21.
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