Owen plotting Derby route for Wimbledon Hawkeye

Wimbledon Hawkeye is to be trained with the Dante Stakes in mind before a tilt at the Betfred Derby.

The Kameko colt was the star of James Owen’s blistering first full season training on the Flat, making the podium in both the Superlative Stakes and Acomb at York before providing the Green Ridge Stables handler with a first Group-level success when landing the Royal Lodge on home Newmarket soil.

He finished his juvenile campaign with an honourable third in the Futurity Trophy at Doncaster, but a return to the scene of his finest hour for a shot at 2000 Guineas appears unlikely, with Owen eyeing a trip to the Knavesmire to test the colt’s Derby credentials in the Dante.

Owen said: “Wimbledon Hawkeye is great and looks fantastic, we’re going to train him for the Dante.

“He’ll have an entry for the 2000 Guineas, but at the minute he’s not being trained for the Guineas. At the moment he’s being trained for the Dante with the Derby in mind, but if he tells us different then we’ll see.

“It’s a long season and there’s no rush with him. He gets a penalty in all the trials and the Dante is a nice trial and he’s run well at York before so we know he handles the track.

“I’ve never been in this situation before, so we’ll enjoy working it out week by week and let him tell us.”

One of a 90-strong initial entry for the premier Classic, Wimbledon Hawkeye is a 40-1 shot with Derby sponsors Betfred, but is as short as 25-1 with William Hill.

Meanwhile, Owen has placed a target on the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot for his high-class new recruit Ambiente Friendly.

He won Lingfield’s Listed Derby Trial when trained by James Fanshawe last season, before going on to finish second to City Of Troy in the Derby at Epsom and also placing in the Irish equivalent when another Aidan O’Brien-trained inmate, Los Angeles, proved a thorn in his side.

The colt’s form may have tailed off in his final two appearances last term, but Owen appreciates how fortunate he is to be handed another top operator from owners the Gredley family and is looking forward to mapping out an exciting summer campaign for the four-year-old.

Owen has nominated the Group Two Hardwicke as the ideal early-season objective, with Ambiente Friendly likely to hit the track under Owen’s name beforehand in preparation.

He said: “He’s good and cantering away lovely. Freddy Tylicki and Tim Gredley were in to see him and he did a couple of steady canters. He’s looking great and we’re looking forward to the Flat season with him.

“The Hardwicke would be the aim, but he’ll have a prep run before. I don’t know where he’ll go, but there’s plenty of options.

“I’m very lucky to have him and I know he was second in the Derby, but he’s only a Listed winner so there will be lots of options. He’s a very good horse.”