Hartnell has been a grand servant for Godolphin since arriving in Australia back in October 2014 and he showed he still has some mileage left in the old legs when scoring an emotional win in Saturday's $1 million Group 1 Tab Epsom Hcp (1600m) in track-record time at Randwick.
Ridden by Hugh Bowman, the James Cummings-trained gelding overhauled D'Argento (So You Think) to win by a half-head with Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock) three-quarters of a length in third ahead of the fast-finishing Shillelagh (Savabeel) in fourth. (photos Steve Hart)
It was the fourth win at the highest level for the 8yo son of Authorized (IRE) advancing his record to 13 wins, 12 seconds and 3 thirds from 44 starts with earnings of $5,443,749.
Hartnell was coming off a fourth, beaten just over half a length in the came to the Group II Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 8.
"I thought I had him a fraction big for the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes second-up," James Cummings told AAP.
"I was really, really bullish about the horse running an impressive race then.
"But he would be cherry ripe third-up after that run and I was just convinced it was time to run him in a good race. And it paid off.
"From my perspective, I had a heap of pressure on me to train this horse when I took him over.
"He'd been winless for a while and he's won for me every single prep.
"He's won two Group Ones. He's won a Group Two. It's a huge moment and I'm privileged to have a horse of calibre under my care.
Kementari had also been in Godolphin's Epsom plans until he was diverted to Melbourne.
"We probably had two horses in the stable that could have won this Epsom, but there's no more popular winner than Hartnell.
"It's a massive team effort.
"It's tremendously exciting."
Hartnell began his career in Britain with Mark Johnston for whom he won five races, including the Bahrain Trophy and Queen's Vase and was placed in the Group 1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud.
A half-brother to Listed winner and Group 1 Newmarket Fillies' Mile runner-up Roz (Teofilo), Hartnell is out of the twice winning Anabaa mare Debonnaire whose stakes-placed dam Ultra Finesse (Rahy) who is a half-sister to Prix de l"Arc de Triomphe, French Derby and Irish Champion Stakes winner Suave Dancer.
