RACING: Hawk Wing could start the shortest priced favourite in 20 years to defy the statisticians and win the Food Island Irish Champion Stakes. By Brian O'Connor
The record of three year olds in the €1.1 million, Group One is hardly encouraging with the classic generation coming out on top just once since 1992.
Throw in the fact that only two Irish-trained horses have won since 1990 and Hawk Wing's task appears formidable enough.
But the real unknown quantity is how the giant colt will perform having emerged from over a month of coughing at the Ballydoyle yard. Last night more blood tests were being taken from Hawk Wing, as well as Landseer and Rock Of Gibraltar who also hold Group One engagements this weekend. The results will be known this morning.
"They seem fine but being realistic we can only hope they run well. They are horses coming back from being sick," Aidan O'Brien said yesterday.
"Obviously when they come back off a break like this, you would imagine they will improve for the run.
"But Hawk Wing is a very clear horse with a lot of pace and the trip shouldn't bother him."
Ante-post punters seem to be in little doubt about the fitness of the Derby and Guineas runner-up and Hawk Wing looks set to start as warm a favourite as Galileo (4 to 11) last year and maybe even the hottest since Assert won at 1 to 4 in 1982.
Ranged against him will be a small but select field that will be made even smaller by the expected withdrawls of High Chaparral and Rebelline.
The stewards are allowed impose fines of at least one per cent of the guaranteed prize-money due to such late withdrawls.
Three years ago, Montjeu's trainer John Hammond was fined £15,000 in the same circumstances.
The main threat is set to come from Coolmore-Ballydoyle's old rivals Godolphin who shocked the supposed hot-pot Galileo last season and have won the race three times in the last four years with Swain (1998), Daylami (1999) and Fantastic Light (2001)..
The Prix d'Ispahan winner Best Of The Bests backs up Grandera who comes here on the back of a disappointing run in the King George where Frankie Dettori blamed the watered ground.
However, after Grandera's five-length stroll at Royal Ascot, Dettori sang a tune that looks most significant for today. "The key to Grandera is fast ground, a strong pace and a mile and a quarter," he said.
With Best Of The Bests and Sholokhov in the race, pace should not be a problem and everything else is guaranteed.
Margarula's chance looks remote considering only one filly has won in the last 13 years, so this year's Champion looks set up for Ballydoyle to try and get their own back for Godolphin's tactical success last year.
Hawk Wing's reputation is almost as colossal as he is, but Galileo's reputation counted for nothing and the offical ratings still say Grandera has 4lb in hand.
Hawk Wing may well justify his exalted reputation in style but at the prices, Grandera looks the bet.
Another returning star from Ballydoyle is the Coronation winner Sophisticat who concedes weight all round in the Group Three Matron Stakes.
Even on equal terms, the quirky Sophisticat would do well to cope with the Desmond winner Dress To Thrill and Dermot Weld also looks set to pick up the Listed Kilternan Stakes with the fast ground loving Sights On Gold.
John Oxx runs four in the fillies handicap and Niall McCullagh's booking for the lightly weighted Cork winner Dolce Vita looks significant.
