Hurricane Lane Comes Off the Bench in Hardwicke Stakes

This season is about avenging a narrow defeat in last year’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) for Hurricane Lane , with the June 18 Hardwicke Stakes (G2) the starting point for that mission.

Trained by Charlie Appleby for Godolphin, Hurricane Lane went off favorite in Paris and was only run down yards from the line by 72-1 shot Torquator Tasso  and Tarnawa , leaving connections, which included jockey James Doyle, dejected.

William Buick is back on board last year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (G1), Grand Prix de Paris (G1), and Cazoo St. Leger (G1) winner, and Appleby is optimistic Hurricane Lane will be able to begin his 4-year-old campaign in the perfect way as he builds towards this year’s Arc.

“We have been delighted with how Hurricane Lane has done physically from 3 to 4 and this race has always been our target, working back from the Arc again,” Appleby said. 

“He took in a nice racecourse gallop at Newmarket, which he needed to switch on his racing brain. He will have come on for that physically and mentally, and we have been very pleased with him since.

“We know that his preferred ground is on the easy side of good, but it was pretty quick when he won the Irish Derby. If anything, he looks sharper than last year and the team is very excited to see him have his first outing of the year.”

However, punters must contemplate whether Hurricane Lane will be fully tuned up on his return from 258 days off on ground faster than he has previously encountered, and against several high-class, race-fit rivals.

This looks an up to scratch running and the average Racing Post Rating handed to the Hardwicke winner is 121. Hurricane Lane will need to be somewhere near his best to record a figure that high and is worth bypassing at a short price.

There are a number of dangers and the feeling is Broome  will not be far away. Broome caught the eye when a running-on fifth on his comeback in the Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1). That race unearthed this week’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) winner State of Rest  and the 10 1/2 furlongs there was slightly short of his best trip.

Photo: Edward Whitaker/Racing Post

Broome (right) finishes a close second to Yibir in the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar

Broome’s standout performance came over 12 furlongs at Del Mar on firm ground when runner-up in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) last November. He has previously run in the Hardwicke, when second to Wonderful Tonight on soft ground last year, and seems sure to run his race, having missed the tougher Prince of Wales’s Stakes (G1) earlier in the week.

“(Broome is) a solid horse,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien. “We brought him back for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and we were happy with him in that. He’s back up in trip now and that will definitely suit him. He seems very well.”

Also ducking Royal Ascot’s richest race in favor of the Hardwicke is Mostahdaf . It may be merely conjecture to ponder whether Shadwell did not declare long-term Hardwicke ante-post second favorite Al Aasy  in order to avoid a better horse in Mostahdaf, but that theory is worth considering.

The majority of Frankel’s highest-rated progeny are strong stayers at 12 furlongs and Mostahdaf is an unknown quantity at the distance. A double-figure price is surely an underestimation of his credentials.

The suspicion is Third Realm  needs softer ground and Shamardal  gelding Solid Stone  will prefer shorter. Another neglected in the betting could be the rapidly improving Layfayette  for Noel Meade.

Layfayette has twice put High Definition  to the sword at the Curragh this spring and that horse has since advertised the form by nearly capturing the Tattersalls Gold Cup  (G1) and shaping okay when third at Epsom in the Coronation Cup (G1).

“(Lafayette is) in very good form, we couldn’t be happier with him,” said Meade. “It’s a very strong race. We wouldn’t mind a bit of rain. Hopefully, he’ll give a good account of himself. This is a good test, it’s a group 1 race ran as a group 2 but hopefully he can go well.”