James Owen believes Wimbledon Hawkeye has enough speed to cope with a drop back in trip on his seasonal return in the Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park later this month.
The son of Kameko signed off last season finishing down the field in the Breeders’ Cup Turf over a mile and a half at Del Mar having previously won the Grade Three DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes at Keeneland.
However, The Gredley Family-owned colt will revert back to a mile and a quarter to contest the Group Three prize at the Esher venue on May 28th ahead of a return trip to Royal Ascot for a tilt at the Group Two Hardwicke Stakes.
And after putting the 2024 Royal Lodge hero through his paces over seven furlongs before racing at Newmarket on Saturday morning the dual-purpose handler is confident of enjoying a successful season with the four-year-old.
Owen said: “Wimbledon Hawkeye had a busy time last year so he has had a lovely break and he has galloped out well today.
“He looks to me like he has strengthened up, and he looks a different horse to what he used to look like so hopefully he has improved a bit.
“The plan is to go for the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown Park and I think he has got the speed for that.
"The Hardwicke is very much the plan after the Brigadier Gerard and we will then make another plan after that. If he does well in that we could stay racing in Britain. He is a lovely horse to have in the yard.”
Wimbledon Hawkeye was not the only member of Owen’s string in action on the Rowley Mile with Rogue Diplomat also taking part in the exercise under Cieren Fallon.
And after finishing virtually alongside his Group-race winning stablemate Owen hinted that he could take aim at the Listed Prix de Montretout at Longchamp on May 24th with this year’s Lincoln runner-up ahead of an outing in the Royal Hunt Cup at the Royal meeting.
Owen added: “Rogue Diplomat has a Royal Hunt Cup entry and he is also entered in the Listed Prix de Montretout at Longchamp next weekend.
“We will have a look at the race in France and we might take that in on route to Royal Ascot.
“He ran a great race to be second in the Lincoln and he just had a bit of bad luck in running at Newbury last time.
“I thought he ran really well at Newbury to be fair as his figures were good and the data was good but in those big field handicaps you need a bit of luck, however he looks like he is coming forward.”
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