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It’s a statement of the obvious but what a fabulous performance by Hawk Wing today, whetting the appetite for the rest of the season.
Ian…as someone who’s eaten his fair share of humble pie on here I’ll just say welcome to the club. It’s all about opinions and anyone who expresses one on here is bound to be wrong from time to time.
Have to say that at long last I finally got excited by the Flat season today.
A fantastic performance.
Scintillating stuff today – going clear all the way.
The Prince of Wales HAS to be the target now – take on Moon Ballad!
Basically that’s because the older milers aren’t really up to much still, even though Where Or When could come on a lot for that first run and Domedriver and Olden Times didn’t seem to give their running.
The hype will start again for the rest of the season but there’s more justification in this. He hasn’t half reversed the form with Where Or When.
No he wouldn’t be a horse to back – he’s one to watch with mouth dropped open if he goes on the way he’s started. Roll on Ascot! :cool:
Great Performance By Hawk Wing Today!
What do people think about the fact that he made all today instead of being Held up like in most races last year?
I think it helped him because he was in control and bossed the field without having to pass horses which he seemed to have problems doing last year when push came to shove?
I think it will be intresting to see how Mick Kinane rides him next time out?
I have to take my share from the plate too. That was certainly the highlight of an otherwise poor season so far.
I have slight reservations that he may be at his best at this time of the season, but you have to say he was ‘awesome’ today. Only a second off the course record when making all and not on the fastest of going stands this up for what it is. Sprint Cup, well who knows but I doubt we will see him going 12f again.
Beax
Quote: from flagship uberalles on 5:07 pm on May 17, 2003[br]Does anyone know of the time of the race? Was it fast for the going? <br>
According to Channel 4 after the race, he was only a second slower than the course record time.
What a performance , just saw it on video. I saw him in the curragh a few weeks ago, running after racing, and he looked better than ever. He ran with a 3 yr old Arundel, stalked to 2f out and then quickened without coming off the bridle. I was mightly impressed with him that day, but what a performance today.
(Edited by johnjdonoghue at 5:55 pm on May 17, 2003)
I think talk of HW being as 6f up to 12f horse is erm…a bit over the top. It would be interesting to see it happen though – then we can see if it really is true because I will doubt the July Cup claim unless he wins it.
As for the season itself – it’s too early to say it’s poor, in my opinion (if it seems a poor start I can see where youre coming from as on the whole it’s too early to assess form etc). The Lockinge today was the first older horses Group One. A lot of the top middle distance older horses have yet to return. The first 3yos v older horses isn’t till the Eclipse so it does take some time to get going. My favourite race so far is the 1000 Guineas. The form is already looking red hot and I can’t wait for Six Perfections next weekend.
Echo all the comments above – fantastic performance from a top class miler. Another masterful training performance from a true genius. We should have taken the hint when they kept him in training. What is High Chaparral going to do when he’s unleashed!! (Oh, and the 2-y-o Grand Reward looked a bit special as well!).
All the races you named Flagship were in excess of a mile, to win a Group1 mile race of this quality by ELEVEN lenghts is unheard of. This horse works better than any horse housed in Ballydoyle under Aidan’s care(only King Of Kings could do the fractions this horse does) and it just shows O’Brien is very rarely wrong when it comes to his horses despite early reverses(Stravinsky,Mozart,King Of Kings etc).
I seem to remember that race being run in hock deep ground…….something Turtle Island excelled in. Hawk Wings run was on good/firm ground beating a QE2 winner by 11lenghts and a Breeders Cup mile winner out of sight. We wont see a mile performance like this for a long time……well maybe not until he runs again!
What an awe-inspiring performance today-really has kick-started the season for me. <br>I agree that the way the horse was ridden certainly contributed to the performance even though I was worried through the early stages as I thought that he was there to be shot at.
I can remember the comments on here e.g. "Hawk Wing’s keeping a low profile" and "Maybe he’ll go for the Ebor" but he’s CERTAINLY silenced the doubters now.
Bring on Ascot……………..
Notwithstanding the truth of the axiom that these forums are all about opinions, Ian, I’m puzzled at your placing much significance on Aidan O’Brien’s comment about the niggling little problems HW had had.
After a very punishing Derby against a crack *and* staying stable companion in yielding ground, how he managed to go on from there, and, after winning a smaller race easily, just get pipped a head by that crack older horse, Grandera in his pomp, I think in the Champion Stakes, must surely be the big mystery.  HW’s surely a monster, pure and simple.
As for his brilliance, his breaking the 7F record at the Curragh as a 2 yr old, and then being beaten just a whisker by the Rock on the other, more favourable side of the track in our Guineas, surely spoke volumes. With a horse like that, it’s surely better to rave about him and risk getting egg on your face, than to cavil about the possible weaknesses you might associate with a run-of-the-mill group horse that’s tended to disappoint.  I don’t believe he ever disappointed. He was given too much to do last year, and though he’ll presumably be stronger, I got the impression Aidan is particularly anxious not to repeat it. He said, himself, on the box, that he learnt a lot from last year and the way he planned HW’s campaign.
Incidentally, it takes all types, and you can’t knock his Michael Kinane’s expertise as a jockey, but I was a bit disappointed not to see him make a fuss of the horse straight after the race, as some jocks do. I didn’t see anyone go up to him and hug him as connections sometimes do in in smaller races. Gratitude is something all creatures I think have some notion of. Don’t tell me about the pathetic fallacy. I dont think it’s applicable.
My confidence has been a bit low of late and some of my punts have been crap with hindsight,but the faith kept with me today and i backed Hawkwing at 11/4.Should have had more on …..!easy in it when they win
Mesh,
Your waiting for Six Perfections next weekend, I’m really looking forward to seeing how Walayef runs against her, I think she is a really special filly.
In the cold light of the next day.<br>The horse is back to hype level again, The time was not as fast as cape cross I think, who was 3.63 sec fast G/F(I use RP times to standardise my calcs). <br>Yes a good performance but I suspect, not as good as the hype, domedrivers 6 wins have come on soft or yeilding ground except one. To beat the second by 11 lengths ok, good, but with the third another how many behind, I suspect that the opposition on the day was not that good. <br>If my memory serves me rightly, most horses that win this race, do not go on to greater things. but it is their stud fee guarantee.<br>I have a large plate of humble pie ready for his next run, but I do not think I will be eating it.<br>
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