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Originally Posted by Cardus
If we used the "on his best day" comparison, wouldn't Bellamy Road be the second best three-year-old behind Secretariat?
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No, based on the fact that the only time they met over a mile, Hawk Wing was rated as a clear-cut winner, and to all that saw it, would have been had things panned out differently (see below).
Then, as the Rock went to maul a poor bunch of milers during the rest of that season, Hawk Wing came back the following year to put up an effort in the Lockinge which had to be seen to be believed...a performance 7lb better than the Rock ever produced.
Here was what our course reporter had to say after his effort in the 2,000 Guineas:
Hawk Wing had been the subject of glowing reports from his stable during the winter and has to go down as one of the unluckiest Guineas losers for many a year, clearly at a disadvantage the way things worked out but leaving the impression he'd have overcome everything had he actually begun his effort earlier in his group; given his stable-companion Sholokhov was said to be in largely as a pacemaker, it was perhaps a little surprising that Hawk Wing's rider elected to stay were he was, as he could comfortably have gone either way from a stall almost bang in the middle, but those were reportedly his instructions; thereafter, Hawk Wing travelled strongly under a patient ride and, having smoothly made his way into contention, wasn't actually asked for his effort until well inside the final 2f, Spencer seemingly under the impression he had only his rivals on his side of the track as a threat, thereafter producing a finishing burst very rarely seen at this level, taking lengths out of his group inside the last and only just failing to get up; there's little doubt he would have run out a clear-cut winner had things panned out differently and the sky's clearly the limit so far as his prospects for this year are concerned; he could reportedly next take in the Irish Guineas first, and would surely be odds on to win it, though most post-race talk inevitably centred on Epsom (promoted to favouritism, though stable also has High Chaparral towards fore of betting); whether he'll stay 12f is another matter; his pedigree doesn't suggest he's sure to, and the way he travelled here before accelerating in such devastating fashion suggests speed is more his forte than stamina; one thing's for sure, if he does genuinely stay it'll take something very special to stop him; a big, close-coupled colt who was fitted with a crossed noseband, he looked in fantastic shape and handled the preliminaries well.