The Hawk (horse)
Encyclopedia
The Hawk was a exceptional New Zealand
bred Thoroughbred
racehorse. He had 136 race starts, winning top quality races in both New Zealand and Australia
, and set Australasian records for six and eight furlongs. In an exceptional career he won over all distances from 4 furlongs to 12 furlongs and his last race was as a rising 13 year old.
As a five year old The Hawk had his first season racing in Australia where his wins included the Hill Stakes
, St George Stakes
, Futurity Stakes
, Essendon Stakes and C M Lloyd Stakes. At aged six he continued his Australian campaign winning the Caulfield Stakes
, Challenge Stakes
, St George Stakes, Essendon Stakes, Rawson Stakes and All Aged Stakes
.
In the autumn of 1925 he returned to New Zealand to meet the great old champion Gloaming
(then rising ten years old) in a match race in the Hawke's Bay J.D. Ormond Memorial Gold Cup at Hastings
. The event attracted many thousands of spectators to the Hastings Racecourse where, in the run to the line, Gloaming lengthened his stride to pass The Hawk and win by a length in record time.
The Hawk continued racing in New Zealand until the age of 13. His wins during his later years included the 1927 WRC Metropolitan Handicap, the 1927 and 1928 Taranaki Stakes
, and the 1930 Taranaki Cup when aged 11. At age 12 he won his thirty-first, and last race in the Dannevirke Cup.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
bred Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse. He had 136 race starts, winning top quality races in both New Zealand and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and set Australasian records for six and eight furlongs. In an exceptional career he won over all distances from 4 furlongs to 12 furlongs and his last race was as a rising 13 year old.
Breeding
He was by the good racehorse and great sire, Martian out of the unraced, Sparrow Hawk (GB) by Land League. Sparrow Hawk was the dam of only two foals, of which only The Hawk was named and raced. The Hawk was purchased as a yearling for 350 guineas by W.J. Douglas and, on his death in 1922, was sold to New Zealand trainer J.M. Cameron for 700 guineas.Racing record
He won six of his ten races as a two year old and broke the Australasian record for six furlongs as a three year old in winning the Waterloo Stakes.As a five year old The Hawk had his first season racing in Australia where his wins included the Hill Stakes
Hill Stakes
The Hill Stakes is a STC Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at run at Weight for Age over a distance of 1900 metres at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, Sydney in September.-Past winners:*2011 - Trusting *2010 - Descarado *2009 - Miss Marielle...
, St George Stakes
St George Stakes
The St George Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race held under weight for age conditions, for horses aged two years old and upwards, over a distance of 1800 metres. It is held at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne every February. Total prize money is A$200,000.-Distance:1900 -...
, Futurity Stakes
Futurity Stakes (Australia)
The Futurity Stakes is a Group 1 Australian weight-for-age Thoroughbred horse race held at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne. For most of its history it was a 1400 metre race but since 2006 it has become the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge series, and its distance has changed to 1600 metres...
, Essendon Stakes and C M Lloyd Stakes. At aged six he continued his Australian campaign winning the Caulfield Stakes
Caulfield Stakes
The VATC Caulfield Stakes is now a Melbourne Racing Club Australian Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under weight-for-age conditions, for three-year-olds and upwards, at Caulfield Racecourse. The race was previously known as the Caulfield Stakes but since 1997 it has been referred to as the...
, Challenge Stakes
AJC Challenge Stakes
The AJC Challenge Stakes is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at weight for age run over a distance of 1000 metres at Warwick Farm Racecourse, Sydney in March...
, St George Stakes, Essendon Stakes, Rawson Stakes and All Aged Stakes
All Aged Stakes
The All Aged Stakes is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred horse race at Weight for Age, run over a distance of 1,400 metres at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney in April or May...
.
In the autumn of 1925 he returned to New Zealand to meet the great old champion Gloaming
Gloaming (horse)
Gloaming was an outstanding Thoroughbred racehorse, owned, trained, and based in New Zealand. He set many records which includes the Australasian record of 19 successive wins, many in Principal Races. Gloaming was unusual that he was a champion who won many major races in both Australia and New...
(then rising ten years old) in a match race in the Hawke's Bay J.D. Ormond Memorial Gold Cup at Hastings
Hastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
. The event attracted many thousands of spectators to the Hastings Racecourse where, in the run to the line, Gloaming lengthened his stride to pass The Hawk and win by a length in record time.
The Hawk continued racing in New Zealand until the age of 13. His wins during his later years included the 1927 WRC Metropolitan Handicap, the 1927 and 1928 Taranaki Stakes
Taranaki Stakes
Taranaki Stakes was a horse race for thoroughbred racehorses held in New Zealand....
, and the 1930 Taranaki Cup when aged 11. At age 12 he won his thirty-first, and last race in the Dannevirke Cup.