Hawksmoor

Hawksmoor bounced back to form with an impressive performance to land the Group 3 Prestige Stakes over seven furlongs at Goodwood on Saturday. Held up towards the rear of the field through the early stages of the race, it looked like Hugo Palmer’s filly was fighting a losing battle when they quickened from the front at the two-furlong pole. She quickly came under pressure, they weren’t stopping in front, and some of her rivals appeared to be travelling better than her. She did start to pick up as they reached the final furlong, but at that stage it appeared as if the leader Fireglow had set up an unassailable lead for herself. Hawksmoor clawed her back, however, and, powering through the final 100 yards, she got up to nut Mark Johnston’s filly on the line.

This was much more like it from the Azamour filly. She had looked like a talented filly when she won her maiden over seven furlongs at Kempton on her racecourse debut in early July, but she had disappointed on her only subsequent run behind Blue Bayou and Fireglow in the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket in early August. That was probably too great a speed test for her, she appeared to be much happier on the easier ground on Saturday, and the extra premium that that placed on stamina.

By King George winner Azamour, her grandam won over 10 furlongs, and she shapes as if she will improve for an even great test. This seven furlongs on soft ground appeared to be a minimum for her. She is entered in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and the Rockfel Stakes, but they are both seven-furlong contests, so the May Hill and the Fillies’ Mile may be more suitable targets for her now. She handled the soft ground on Saturday well, so an ease in the ground for either of those races will be a positive.

29^th August 2015