The last British Group I race of the flat season was run overnight at Doncaster with Aidan O’Brien producing a trifecta of two year-old colts led by a son of the late Wootton Bassett (GB) in Hawk Mountain, who was too good for a pair of Frankel colts.
A last start winner of the Group II Beresford Stakes at The Curragh, Hawk Mountain has been making steady progress and scored a half length win for Ronan Whelan over Action and the favourite Benvenuto Cellini.
A homebred for the Coolmore partners, Hawk Mountain has won three of four starts and has had his price for next year’s Epsom Derby cut to as short as 8-1.
“Hawk Mountain is a Classic horse that could start off being a miler and go on up to a mile and a quarter/a mile and a half,” said Aidan O’Brien.
“He's a classy horse, he gets a mile well and he's tough. He's a massive horse, a big, powerful strong horse. He has an unbelievable mind and he's very straightforward to do everything with. You couldn't be happier with him.”
Hawk Mountain is a half-brother to stakes-winners Officer and Wingspan being the third and best winner so far from three foals to race from dual Group I winning Galileo mare Hydrangea, a sister to Group I winners The United Stakes and Hermosa.
He is also a brother-in-blood to this year’s dual Group I winning Wootton Bassett filly Whirl, who is from minor winner Salsa, a full sister to Hydrangea.
Hawk Mountain is the 19th Group I for the ill-fated Wootton Bassett, who also sired exciting Australian bred colt Napoleonic to win the Group III MVRC Red Anchor Stakes at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Read about him here.
