All roads lead to Bahrain for Wimbledon Hawkeye after he continued an excellent first campaign for George Scott with victory in the Qatar Prix Dollar at ParisLongchamp.
Winner of the Royal Lodge for James Owen a couple of years ago, the son of Kameko was bought privately by the Victorious Forever team during the off-season and has proved a shrewd purchase, with a Group Three win at Deauville followed by a nose defeat to Hotazhell in last month’s Irish Champion Stakes.
With Christophe Soumillon again on board, Wimbledon Hawkeye was much the best horse in this Group Two contest and was good value for the winning margin of half a length over Zaydann.
“He’s a class horse – he’s proven that time and time again this year,” said Scott.
“He was a bit fresh beforehand and I was a bit apprehensive how fresh he was, but he travelled into it like a really good horse.”
Wimbledon Hawkeye’s odds for the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes were widely cut, but an appearance on Champions Day at Ascot is not on the agenda.
Scott added: “I think he’ll be perfect for Bahrain. Shaikh Nasser has put his foot down, there’ll be no Champion Stakes. I want to do what the boss wants to do and he’s right – we want to take a fresh horse to Shaikh Nasser’s home.
“He was bought for Bahrain so this is all a bonus really. I’ll give him a week in the field when he gets home and the Bahrain International is going to be the perfect race for him.”
Of the winning rider, he added: “It’s cool to be associated with Christophe. He’s not someone I know very well and I’ve had a bit of a man crush on him since he started riding! He’s got that charisma like Oisin (Murphy) and Frankie (Dettori) – they’re just one-offs.”
There was further success for the raiding party in the Qatar Prix Daniel Wildenstein, with Ralph Beckett’s Qirat striking gold under Silvestre de Sousa.
Best known for springing a 150-1 surprise in last year’s Sussex Stakes, the consistent performer was a comprehensive winner of this Group Two, proving too strong for odds-on favourite Quddwah.
De Sousa said: “Going back up to a mile from seven furlongs helped him. They’ve done a great job with the ground here, it’s on the slow side and it suited the horse.
“Over the sharp mile I thought we’d jump off, give him a breather and go again.”
But the race was marred by a fatal injury to Karl Burke’s popular Group One-winning performer Fallen Angel, who broke down behind shortly after entering the straight.
Connections were devastated at the loss of a talented mare with an emotional Richard Brown, racing manager to owners Wathnan Racing, confirming their loss.
He said: “She was an amazing filly and it is just gutting. Really, really desperate news.”
Burke added in a post on Instagram: “Words cannot describe how incredibly heartbroken we are at the loss of our stable star Fallen Angel. A beautiful 5 time group 1 winner with a huge personality and presence. She was truly loved by everyone.
“She will leave a massive hole at Spigot Lodge and meant so much to her groom Alice and regular rider James who were with her today in France.
“She was due to retire at the end of this season. Our thoughts are also with everyone @wathnan_racing & James Doyle. #RIP”
Jabracadabra continued Amy Murphy’s fine season with victory in the Qatar Prix Chaudenay.
The former Newmarket-based trainer relocated to France last year and has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, previously enjoying Pattern-race success this summer with prolific juvenile Tokaido and Victoire Magique, who was also in this Group Two line-up.
Jabracadabra had won four of his six previous starts this year and with young jockey Ebbe Verhestraeten in the saddle, he powered home to beat Andre and Lavinia Fabre’s Space Waltz, with the Emmet Mullins-trained Winday faring best of the raiding party in third.
Murphy said of the winner: “What a performance and what a ride from Ebbe. He only lost his claim last week, we walked out together and I said ‘you can do this’.
“Jabracadabra started his year off winning a maiden at Le Mans, so to be here winning on Arc weekend is fabulous – the champagne will be flowing 10 minutes from now!”
