Hawkbill Aims High In Eclipse

Hawkbill, one of Godolphin's four winners at Royal Ascot earlier in the month, is to be supplemented for Saturday's G1 Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown (UK).

The in-form three-year-old, who has won his last five races on the trot, seeks to revive memories of a 'golden' decade (1995-2004) for the global stable when the 'Royal Blues' won four of the 10 runnings of the Coral-Eclipse.

John Ferguson, Godolphin's chief executive and racing manager, said the Charlie Appleby-trained colt had done so well since his last win that he was ready to take on stronger opposition.

"Charlie is very happy with how Hawkbill has been training since Ascot," Ferguson pointed out.

"He is taking a step up, but we feel he deserves to take his chance," he added.

Hawkbill won the G3 Tercentenary Stakes defeating another Godolphin runner, Prize Money, with Long Island Sound third.

The colt has won five of his seven starts. His winning sequence started with victory in a seven-furlong Lingfield maiden in July last year.

Godolphin's Coral-Eclipse winners are Halling (1995-96), Daylami (1998, who defeated fellow Godolphin runners Faithful Son and Central Park), and Refuse To Bend (2004).