Hawk Wing

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Hawk Wing
Sire	Woodman
Grandsire	Mr. Prospector
Dam	La Lorgnette
Damsire	Val De L'Orne
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1999
Country	United States
Colour	Bay
Breeder	Hill 'n' Dale Farms
Owner	Sue Magnier
Trainer	Aidan O'Brien
Record	21: 5-5-0
Earnings	₤1,060,491
Major Racing Wins, Awards and Honours
Major Racing Wins
Futurity Stakes (2001) National Stakes (2001) Eclipse Stakes (2002) Lockinge Stakes (2003)
Infobox last updated on: March 3, 2008.

Hawk Wing (foaled 1999 in Kentucky) is a Thoroughbred racehorse trained by Aidan O'Brien.

He was the top two-year old of 2001 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by virtue of a two and a half length win in the National Stakes. He was not undefeated at two, however, having earlier finished second in the Railway Stakes behind a horse named Rock Of Gibraltar. Hawk Wing's subsequent victories in the National Stakes (in an all age course record time), and the Futurity Stakes led him to the position of favorite for the following year's 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby.

The Guineas was a bizarre race, with two distinct groups forming on either side of the straight track, the faster ground on the far side. Hawk Wing was in the group on the stands side, while the group on the far side, containing Rock Of Gibraltar, was travelling slightly further ahead. Hawk Wing absolutely annihilated his own group, and was rapidly closing in on Rock Of Gibraltar only to find the finishing line came too soon. He lost by a neck.

His next run was in the 2002 Epsom Derby, where his unlucky run in the Guineas was enough to give him the position of market favorite again. He ran a good race, but was found wanting against his stablemate High Chaparral. The pair were twelve lengths clear of a field including the winners of three major Derby trials. After the Derby, he subsequently dropped back to 10 furlongs and won the prestigious Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park. He was beaten a short head by Grandera in a thrilling renewal of the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown further prompting some in believing that he wasn't the most genuine of race horses. A runner's up finish as heavy favourite in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot and a disappointing Stateside trip to the Breeders' Cup Classic further dented his reputation.

He was kept in training at four years old, when he produced one of the outstanding performances over a mile of recent times. A field of six ran in the 2003 Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, including: Where Or When, who had beaten Hawk Wing in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes; Olden Times, winner of the Group One Prix Jean Prat; Domedriver, who had inflicted Rock Of Gibraltar's first defeat in eight Group One races in the Breeders' Cup Mile; Reel Buddy (priced at 50-1 despite having been placed in the Group One Sussex Stakes - an indication of the quality of the field); and Celebration Mile winner Tillerman. Hawk Wing was simply awesome, beating a Group One field by 11 lengths, with second place Where Or When eight lengths clear of Olden Times in third. Timeform rated him at 136, suggesting that this was the best performance in the world over a mile for nearly ten years.

He would never reproduce this form again, finishing well down the field on next and only subsequent outing. He retired to Coolmore stud in Ireland. His first crop are 2yos of 2007 and include 11 winners as of the 18th August; his sons Let Us Prey and Feared In Flight have BHA Handicap marks of 98 and 97, respectively.

Pedigree of Hawk Wing

Sire Woodman	Mr. Prospector	Raise a Native	Native Dancer
			Raise You
		Gold Digger	Nashua
			Sequence
	Playmate	Buckpasser	Tom Fool
			Busanda
		Intriguing	Swaps
			Glamour
Dam La Lorgnette	Val de L'Orne	Val de Loir	Vieux Manoir
			Vali
		Aglae	Armistice
			Aglae Grace
	The Temptress	Nijinsky II	Northern Dancer
			Flaming Page
		La Sevillana	Court Harwell
			Giraldilla