Clodovil can prove too good in Palace showdown
The French colt, who stretched his unbeaten run to five in the Gainsborough Poule d’Essai des Poulains, can win the battle of the Guineas winners. He takes on Irish hero Indian Haven, Martillo who took the German equivalent, plus the Sagitta 2000 Guineas runner-up Zafeen.
Clodovil looked a specialist miler of the highest order when beating Catcher In The Rye by a length in the French 2000 at Longchamp last month.
Always travelling well in the hands of talented Belgian-born rider Christophe Soumillon, he clinched victory with a fine turn of foot once he got in the clear a furlong out.
The highly-promising Kalaman, who is stepping up in class, represents the biggest threat, but Clodovil, trained by Andre Fabre, can become the first French-trained winner of this championship race since Sendawar in 1999.
Hawk Wing can silence his remaining critics for good by winning the Queen Anne Stakes.
The mile race has been elevated to Group One status for the first time and it would be fitting if horse of Hawk Wing’s stature were to be the inaugural victor.
And, judging on his seasonal reappearance in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, it will be a brave man who opposes the Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old. He was one of the easiest ever winners of a Group One, making all the running under Michael Kinane to beat Where Or When by 11 lengths.
That facile success more than made up for a rollercoaster three-year-old campaign when he won the Coral-Eclipse but was runner-up in the Sagitta 200 Guineas, Vodafone Derby and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
Connections of his 10 rivals tomorrow have been hatching plans to bring about his downfall but they are in for a big disappointment as the Hawk Wing on show at Newbury was a stronger, healthier version than last year.
Dubai Destination returned from a long lay-off with an easy win at Nottingham but this is a totally different ball game and it could be that Right Approach who follows Hawk Wing home.
Dominica can become the first horse for 69 years to record back-to-backs in the King’s Stand Stakes. She held the fast-finishing Continent by a head 12 months ago and was a creditable fifth to Kyllachy in the Nunthorpe Stakes on her only other start last season. No horse has won this five-furlong dash two years in succession since Gold Bridge in 1933 and 1934. But Marcus Tregoning has trained Dominica with a repeat bid in mind and it can pay dividends.
