Hawk Wing
Hawk Wing (19 May 1999 – 1 December 2025) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Owned by the Magnier family and trained by Aidan O'Brien, the horse won three Group One races and was the leading horse in the world in 2003. As a stallion he had some success.
| Hawk Wing | |
|---|---|
 Racing silks of Susan Magnier | |
| Sire | Woodman |
| Grandsire | Mr. Prospector |
| Dam | La Lorgnette |
| Damsire | Val de l'Orne |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | 19 May 1999 |
| Died | 1 December 2025 (aged 26) |
| Country | United States |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Hill 'n' Dale Farms |
| Owner | Sue Magnier |
| Trainer | Aidan O'Brien |
| Record | 12: 5-5-0[1] |
| Earnings | £1,060,491 |
| Major wins | |
| Futurity Stakes (2001) National Stakes (2001) Eclipse Stakes (2002) Lockinge Stakes (2003) | |
| Awards | |
| First in World Thoroughbred Rankings (2003) Timeform rating: 136 | |
| Last updated on 12 October 2024 | |
Hawk Wing (19 May 1999 – 1 December 2025) was an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Owned by the Magnier family and trained by Aidan O'Brien, the horse won three Group One races and was the leading horse in the world in 2003. As a stallion he had some success.
2001: Two-year-old career
[edit]Hawk Wing was the top two-year-old of 2001 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by virtue of a two and a half length win in the National Stakes. He was not undefeated at two, however, having earlier finished second in the Railway Stakes behind Rock Of Gibraltar. Hawk Wing's subsequent victories in the National Stakes (in an all-age course record time) and the Futurity Stakes led him to the position of favorite for the following year's 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Derby.[1]
2002: Three-year-old career
[edit]In the 2,000 Guineas, two distinct groups formed on either side of the straight track, with the faster ground on the far side. Hawk Wing was in the group on the stands side, while the group on the far side, containing Rock Of Gibraltar, was travelling slightly further ahead. Hawk Wing beat his own group and was rapidly closing in on Rock Of Gibraltar but lost by a neck.[2]
His next run was in the 2002 Epsom Derby, where his run in the Guineas was enough to give him the position of market favorite again.[3] He ran second to stablemate High Chaparral. The pair were twelve lengths clear of a field including the winners of three major Derby trials.[4] After the Derby, he subsequently dropped back to 10 furlongs and won the prestigious Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park.[5] He was beaten a short head by Grandera in a renewal of the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, further prompting some in believing that he was not the most genuine of race horses.[6] A runner-up finish behind Where Or When despite being the heavy favourite in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Ascot[7] and a disappointing Stateside trip to the Breeders' Cup Classic further dented his reputation.[8][1]
2003: Four-year-old career
[edit]Hawk Wing was kept in training at the age of four years. A field of six ran in the 2003 Group One Lockinge Stakes at Newbury, including: Where Or When, who had beaten Hawk Wing in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes; Olden Times, winner of the Group One Prix Jean Prat; Domedriver, who had inflicted Rock Of Gibraltar's first defeat in eight Group One races in the Breeders' Cup Mile; Reel Buddy (priced at 50-1 despite having been placed in the Group One Sussex Stakes - an indication of the quality of the field); and Celebration Mile winner Tillerman. Hawk Wing beat this Group One field by 11 lengths, with second place Where Or When eight lengths clear of Olden Times in third.[9] Timeform rated him at 136, suggesting that this was the best performance in the world over a mile for nearly ten years.[1]
On his only subsequent outing in the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot Hawk Wing finished unplaced after suffering a knee ligament injury which ended his racing career.[10]
Stud career
[edit]Hawk Wing retired to Coolmore stud in Ireland. His first crop were juveniles in 2007 and included 11 winners as of 18 August. In Australia, his Irish-bred sons Hawk Island (Wyong Cup, Parramatta Cup and JRA Plate) and Stand To Gain (Sydney Cup) have won stakes races.
After standing for a fee of €15,000 in 2008, Hawk Wing was sold to stand in Korea in a deal arranged by BBA Ireland Ltd.[11][12] He covered an average of 80 mares a season in his first four years in Korea but demand for his services declined and he is recorded as covering only five mares since 2016.[13]
Pedigree
[edit]Source:[14]
| Sire Woodman |
Mr. Prospector | Raise a Native | Native Dancer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raise You | |||
| Gold Digger | Nashua | ||
| Sequence | |||
| Playmate | Buckpasser | Tom Fool | |
| Busanda | |||
| Intriguing | Swaps | ||
| Glamour | |||
| Dam La Lorgnette |
Val de l'Orne | Val de Loir | Vieux Manoir |
| Vali | |||
| Aglae | Armistice | ||
| Aglae Grace | |||
| The Temptress | Nijinsky | Northern Dancer | |
| Flaming Page | |||
| La Sevillana | Court Harwell | ||
| Giraldilla |
Death
[edit]Hawk Wing's death was announced on 2 December 2025. He died of colic in South Korea, at the age of 26.[15][16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Hawk Wing race record". Racing Post. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ "Rock wins 2,000 Guineas". BBC Sport. 4 May 2002. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "O'Brien on course for Derby". BBC Sport. 30 May 2002. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "High Chaparral wins Derby". BBC Sport. 8 June 2002. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Hawk Wing comes of age with Eclipse win". The Telegraph. 7 July 2002. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Dettori's late swoop clips Hawk's wings". The Independent. 7 September 2002. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Where Or When beats Hawk Wing at Ascot". The Guardian. 29 September 2002. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Volponi pulls Breeders' Cup shocker". The Associated Press. 27 October 2002. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Lockinge Stakes result". Racing Post. 17 May 2003. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
- ^ "English/Irish Champion Hawk Wing Retired". BloodHorse.com. 13 August 2003. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Hawk Wing Progeny". Racing Post. 12 March 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "John Tyrell Bloodstock Agent". bba-ireland.ie. February 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Korea Stud Book". KRA.co.kr. September 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Hawk Wing". pedigreequery.com. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
- ^ "Sensational Miler Hawk Wing Succumbs To Colic At 26". www.thoroughbreddailynews.com. December 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
- ^ Exceptional 2003 Lockinge winner Hawk Wing dies of colic in Korea aged 26