Hawksmoor Triumphs in German 1,000 Guineas

The British-based three-year-old filly Hawksmoor has competed admirably against some of the best fillies of her generation, finishing third to subsequent Investec Oaks (Eng-I) winner Minding in the Dubai Fillies’ Mile (Eng-I) at Newmarket last year and defeating the capable Fireglow in the Prestige Stakes (Eng-III) at Goodwood. On June 5th, Hawksmoor’s talents were rewarded when she took a small drop in class and won the German 1,000 Guineas (Ger-II) at Dusseldorf racecourse.

Sent off as the heavy favorite at odds of 6-5, Hawksmoor flashed speed from the start under jockey James Doyle and settled just off the pace set by Double Dream. Entering the long homestretch, Hawksmoor was urged to take command from Double Dream and kicked clear of the pacesetter inside the final furlong before digging deep to hold off a late run from the German-bred filly Shy Witch.

The final time for a mile was 1:37.30 over a course labeled “good to soft,” and Hawksmoor prevailed by a half-length. Trained by Hugo Palmer, who won the QIPCO 2,000 Guineas (Eng-I) last month with Galileo Gold, Hawksmoor is expected to step back up into group I company very soon, and the Racing Post has reported that the Falmouth Stakes (Eng-I) at Newmarket in July could be the next target for the filly.

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