James Owen intends to drop Wimbledon Hawkeye back in trip for his prep run ahead of an outing in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
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 either the Listed Festival Stakes at Goodwood on Thursday or the Group Three Star Sports Brigadier Gerard Stakes at Sandown Park later in the month.
After putting the 2024 Royal Lodge hero Wimbledon Hawkeye 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. He galloped out well on the Rowley Mile on Saturday.
“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 either the Brigadier Gerard at Sandown Park or the Festival Stakes at Goodwood. We will confirm plans early in the week, but I think he has got the speed for either race.
"The Hardwicke is very much the plan afterwards. If he does well in that we could stay racing in Britain or we might go travelling with him again. He is a lovely horse to have in the yard.”
On the road to Royal Ascot
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 24 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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