Can Hawk Wing finally live up to his huge reputation?
Last year Fantastic Light proved just too strong for Galileo in as memorable a contest as you could wish to see.
What are the chances of similar thrills for Saturday’s Group One extravaganza?
All logic tells us it is highly unlikely. Indeed, if the ‘wrong’ Grandera turns up this could well develop into little more than a lap of honour for Hawk Wing.
Grandera appears to have two ways of running, quite brilliant or utterly mediocre. The brilliant version ran at Royal Ascot in the Prince of Wales’ Stakes. He exploded in the straight to beat Indian Creek by five lengths with high class performers, Banks Hill and Nayef, in third and fourth places respectively.
If he arrives at Leopardstown in that sort of mood then Grandera will give Hawk Wing more than enough to think about.
But then we saw the other Grandera in the King George at Ascot in July. He went off market leader, but struggled home a well beaten fifth behind Golan.
Frankie Dettori reported that the horse was unsuited by the watered ground, it was officially good to firm, and his opinion wasn’t taken overly seriously by most observers.
In any case you have to admire Godolphin. There’s little doubt that an in-form Sakhee would be the choice to take on Hawk Wing.
He seems to be yesterday’s news, however, but they are still prepared to throw down the gauntlet to Ballydoyle with Grandera and Best Of The Bests to boot.
You could argue Hawk Wing still has it all to prove and it is a view with which one wouldn’t readily disagree.
He started the season as Ballydoyle’s principal classic hope. Indeed, he was touted as a possible triple crown winner very early on by Aidan O’Brien.
But not a whole lot has gone right with the horse’s campaign. He was badly drawn when, arguably, an unlucky loser behind stable companion Rock Of Gibraltar in the English 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Then he was Ballydoyle’s number one for the Epsom Derby, but fate again took a hand.
Many of the breeding experts told us he wouldn’t get a mile and a half.
Whatever chance he had dissipated when the rains came and an inspired Johnny Murtagh and High Chaparral outstayed him.
Hawk Wing’s success in the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown, the last time we saw him, in early July, did little to enhance his reputation.
It was a very weakly contested Group One and, once more, the rain arrived.
The upshoot was that Hawk Wing beat fellow Ballydoyle inmate, Sholokhov, a less than impressive two and a half lengths.
So far then Hawk Wing’s career has been a bit more about hype than substance.
The possible triple crown winner hasn’t won a classic and never will.
But you get the feeling the Hawk Wing Aidan O’Brien and his team have seen on the Ballydoyle gallops has yet to be unveiled to the public.
Saturday may well, finally, afford the son of Woodman the conditions which will enable him to show us just how good he really is.
What he requires is ten furlongs and a fast surface, I doubt connections will ever run him on soft ground again.
Granted his needs there has to be the strong possibilty that Hawk Wing will simply light up Leopardstown.
Then he really will be a licence to print money, as he heads off to stud!
